Jazz this week: Fourth annual Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert, Gerald Albright, No BS! Brass Band, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a concert raising funds for music scholarships in honor of a much-loved local jazz supporter; gigs from a popular, groove-oriented saxophonist and a New Orleans-style brass band, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 14
The third annual Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert will take place at Jazz at the Bistro, featuring drummer Matt Wilson, members of Good 4 The Soul and the Funky Butt Brass Band, and various other guest musicians.

The event raises money for music scholarships for St. Louis area students in the name of Richard McDonnell, the late founder of MAXJAZZ Records who also was a board member of Jazz St. Louis and an enthusiastic, well-liked supporter of the local jazz scene before his sudden death in 2014.

Also on Wednesday, The Gaslight Squares will play a free outdoor concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Thursday, June 15
The Dark Room is changing up their regular music offerings a bit starting this week. Going forward, they're booking a different band every week on Thursdays, with pianist Ptah Williams moving to a regular weekly trio show at "happy hour" on Fridays. This week's debut of the "Thursday Night Revue" will feature drummer Kaleb Kirby's band Animal Children.

Also on Thursday, Cabaret Project St. Louis will present their monthly "Broadway Open Mic" at the Curtain Call Lounge.

Friday, June 16 
Saxophonist Gerald Albright (pictured, top left), will headline a "Salute to Fathers/Mentors" at the Sheldon Concert Hall, with support from saxophonist Tim Cunningham, comedian James Stephens III and singer Denise Thimes. For more about what Albright has been up to lately, and some videos of recent live performances, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, guitarist Farshid Etniko Soltanshahi brings his multi-ethnic "world music" sound to Jazz at the Bistro; drummer Steve Davis leads a group with singer Feyza Eren in a free show at the Webster Groves Concert Hall; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe.

Over on the east side, Gypsy jazz/swing trio The Bonbon Plot will play a concert at Jacoby Arts Center; and drummer Marty Morrison leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, June 17
The Gaslight Squares will play a matinee at the Blues City Deli; and keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon and his band The Truth will perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

Sunday, June 18
The Grand Center district will be the site of not one, but two different Frank Sinatra tributes for Father's Day, as singer/impressionist Dean Christopher will do his "Sinatra...and Other Stuff" show for brunch in the relatively intimate confines of The Dark Room, while singer Steve Lippia will be featured with the St. Louis Symphony for a matinee of "Sinatra: 100 Years and Beyond" at the spacious Powell Symphony Hall.

Sunday night, the No BS! Brass Band (pictured, bottom left), a Virginia-based group offering their own contemporary take on the traditional New Orleans ensemble sound, will play at the Old Rock House.

Monday, June 19
A triple bill of free-improvising musicians featuring guitarist Shane Parish, the duo of Christopher E. Trull and Mabel Suen, and the Vernacular String Trio will play at Foam.

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.)

Jazz this week: Moon Hooch, Avishai Cohen's Triveni, Mardra & Reggie Thomas, and more

Memorial Day weekend may be arriving a bit earlier than usual this year, but along with it, St. Louis fans of jazz and creative music can enjoy a couple of touring headliners, the return of some longtime local favorites, a day of performances paying tribute to an influential figure on the local scene, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 20
Moon Hooch (pictured, top left) returns to St. Louis for another gig at 2720 Cherokee. The difficult-to-categorize trio got their start busking in the subways and streets of NYC, and over the past couple of years have brought their funky, stripped-down sound to clubs, concerts and festivals.

Also tonight, Sarah Jane & The Blue Notes perform at the Feasting Fox, and guitarist Dave Black plays at Thurman Grill.

Thursday, May 21
Trumpeter Avishai Cohen (pictured, center left) brings his trio Triveni to Jazz at the Bistro for one night only.

Also featuring drummer Nasheet Waits, who's appeared on all three of the group's recordings, and bassist Linda Oh, subbing for Omer Avital, Triveni is featured on three of Cohen's recordings as a leader, the most recent of which is Dark Nights, released last October. 

You can read more about Cohen and Triveni and see some samples of them in performance in this video post from last Saturday, and you can read a review of their show this week in Kansas City here.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter are continuing with themed shows in their weekly residency at The Dark Room, this week performing music from the songbook of Earth, Wind and Fire.

Friday, May 22
Former St. Louisans Mardra and Reggie Thomas, whose vocals and keyboards were staples of the local music scene for more than a decade, will be back in town to headline two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

After moving to Michigan several years ago, the Thomasas (pictured, bottom left) now are based in Macomb, IL, where last fall Reggie Thomas succeeded Ronald Carter as head of the jazz studies program at Northern Illinois University.

This weekend, they'll be showcasing some of the music from their most recent album, Matters of the Heart, accompanied by a band including three St. Louis musicians - saxophonist Jason Swagler, bassist Zeb Briskovich, and drummer Montez Coleman - plus backing vocalists Nicole Jonas, Olivia Neal, and Zelina Star, and Detroit native Perry Hughes on guitar.

Elsewhere on Friday, the annual Glendale Jazz Festival will feature free, outdoor performances from the St. Louis Big Band, blues guitarist Pennsylvania Slim, and Miss Jubilee at Glendale City Hall, 424 N Sappington Rd.; singers and brothers Tony Viviano and Frank Viviano will join forces at Talayna's Italian Restaurant in Chesterfiled; and singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's.

Saturday, May 23
Saxophonist Tim Cunningham will be back at Troy's Jazz Gallery, while guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith will team up for some duets at Thurman Grill.

Sunday, May 24
Jazz St. Louis will present the second Richard McDonnell Memorial Concert at Jazz at the Bistro. The concert honoring the memory of the late founder of MAXJAZZ records and former Jazz St. Louis board member will begin mid-afternoon and continue through the evening will music from Peter Martin, the Funky Butt Brass Band, Adam Maness, Bob DeBoo, Eric Slaughter, Montez Coleman, Jesse Gannon, and more. 

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.)

Richard McDonnell Memorial Concert to be held Sunday, May 24 at Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has announced that the second annual Richard McDonnell Memorial Concert will take place starting at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, May 24 at Jazz at the Bistro.

The concert will feature performances by St. Louis musicians including Peter Martin, Funky Butt Brass Band, Adam Maness, Bob DeBoo, Eric Slaughter, Montez Coleman, Jesse Gannon, and more.

McDonnell (pictured), who died suddenly on February 8, 2014, was a long-time board member of Jazz St. Louis; founder and owner of the St. Louis based independent record label MAXJAZZ; and a well-liked and near-ubiquitous presence around the local jazz scene.

Tickets for the 2015 Richard McDonnell Memorial Concert are $25 for general admission, $100 for VIP reserved seats, and are on sale now. All the musicians are donating their time so that all proceeds from the concert can go towards a scholarship fund for student musicians in McDonnell’s name.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Greg Osby did a brief Q&A for the website of the Pew Foundation, which made him one of their Pew Fellows in 2012.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake (pictured) has announced some major NYC gigs for this fall, including a show with his big band on Saturday, September 13 at Iridium and a week of performances leading various ensembles from October 21 through October 26 at The Stone.

* In other Lake-related news, here's a review of the reissue compilation Oliver Lake: The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint and Soul Note from Tim Niland of the blog Music & More.

* Pianist Jay Oliver has put online a video of "Incantation," a solo improvisation he recorded for Convergence, the new album from drummer Dave Weckl. The album, which also features fellow St. Louis native Tom Kennedy on bass, as well as Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Gary Meek, Dean Brown, Brandon Fields and more, can be obtained via Weckl's website.

* Former St. Louisan Benjamin Cawthra, author of the book Blue Notes in Black and White, blogged some thoughts about the situation in Ferguson.

* Most of the remaining jazz-related artwork from the collection of the late Richard McDonnell, founder of the indie label MAXJAZZ, now are scheduled to be sold in an auction to be conducted by Link Auction Galleries on Saturday, September 13. You can see items from McDonnell's collection that will be in the sale (and place online bids) starting here.

* Lindy Hop St. Louis was featured in a short video produced by the Riverfront Times.

* Singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black were interviewed last week on KMOX (1120 AM) by "Route 66" host Ron "Johnny Rabbit" Elz.

* Bassist Mark Wallace is the latest subject of St. Louis magazine's recurring feature "Seven Questions With..."

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson spotlights the music of pianist Cecil Taylor. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Meanwhile, over across the river in Edwardsville, WSIE (88.7 FM) has scheduled a new program called "St. Louis Jazz Talk" that will air at 11:00 a.m. Sundays beginning September 8. The show will be hosted by WSIE's Dick Ulett and musicians Mike Silverman, Robert Silverman, and Erika Johnson, and will feature interviews with and recordings by St. Louis musicians.

Jazz this week: Rich McDonnell Memorial Concert, Glendale Jazz Festival, Bluesweek, Adam Larson, and more

Memorial Day is traditionally a time of remembrance, so it seems fitting somehow that this weekend in St. Louis marks the final shows at the current version of Jazz at the Bistro, including a tribute to the late Richard "Rich" McDonnell.

Before that, though, there's lots of other jazz and creative music on tap all weekend around town, so let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, guitarist Tom Byrne plays solo at Evangeline's, and trumpeter Jim Manley returns for his weekly gig at Joyia Tapas in the Grove neighborhood.

On Friday, while The 442s' album release event mentioned here last week is sold out, there's plenty more on the musical menu to kick off the weekend, starting with two annual events that are free and open to the public. The Glendale Jazz Festival, held on the grounds of Glendale City Hall, will feature music from the Bosman Twins, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, and rockbilly/swing trio Hudson and the Hoodoo Cats .

Meanwhile, over on the east side, the Eugene B. Redmond Writer's Club will present  “Da-Dum-Dun,” their yearly tribute to noted East St. Louisans Miles Davis, Henry Dumas and Katherine Dunham, featuring spoken word performance, jazz, drumming and dance, drama, mixed media exhibits, and more. The event takes place in the Multipurpose Room of Building D at the East St. Louis/SIUE Higher Education Center, 601 J.R. Thompson Dr.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Terell Stafford will be back in town, serving as the special guest with students from Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program as they present the first of two nights of season-ending performances at Jazz at the Bistro. 

Read more here: http://events.bnd.com/east_st_louis_il/events/show/370456715-da-dum-dun#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://events.bnd.com/east_st_louis_il/events/show/370456715-da-dum-dun#storylink=cpy

Elsewhere around town,  the Midwest Jazz-tette bring the sounds of West Coast cool jazz to Cigar Inn; singer Mary Dyson and the Brock Walker Trio return to Voce; singer Joe Mancuso performs at Nathalie's; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Saturday afternoon, the annual Bluesweek festival kicks off the first of two days at its new home, the Chesterfield Amphitheater. Saturday's schedule features the fest's only real jazz-oriented set - from Good 4 The Soul, with guests Denise Thimes and Jim Stevens - plus a variety of local blues talent and headlining turns from Ronnie Baker Brooks and Royal Southern Brotherhood. Sunday offers more local and regional blues acts, plus singer Otis Clay topping the bill. 

On Saturday night, saxophonist Adam Larson will lead a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz; saxophonist Rod Tate plays at DeLeo's Cafe & Deli; and singer Feyza Eren and guitarist Randy Bahr will duet in the lounge at the Omni Majestic Hotel downtown.

Then on Sunday, Jazz St. Louis will present a day-long concert paying tribute to Richard McDonnell, the late founder of the MAXJAZZ record label, at Jazz at the Bistro.

Performers will include (in announced order) Dave Venn, Two Times True, Dave Dickey, Brilliant Corners, Tom Byrne Trio, Good 4 the Soul, Cheryl Brown, Gene Dobbs Bradford Blues Experience, Phil Dunlap Quintet, Second Line with the Funky Butt Brass Band, Jesse Gannon with Bob DeBoo and DeMarius Hicks, and a jam featuring Willie Akins, the Bosman Twins, Eric Slaughter, Nathan Pence, Hicks, Bob Bennett and more.

The concert will close with a set featuring musicians who have recorded for MAXJAZZ, including Terell Stafford, saxophonist Tim Warfield, singer Carla Cook (pictured) and pianist Bruce Barth. 

Also on Sunday, the Dave Dickey Big Band plays their monthly gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company, this month featuring trumpeter Jeff Helgesen as special guest, plus an intermission performance from the St. Joseph School Jazz Ensemble. 

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 art from Richard McDonnell collection available for purchase on Saturday, June 14

A variety of jazz-related artwork collected by Richard "Rich" McDonnell, the late founder and owner of MAXJAZZ records, will be available for viewing and purchase in a special event from noon to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, June 14 at the MAXJAZZ offices, 115 Lockwood Ave in Webster Groves.

Jeff Appel, a photography dealer and friend of the McDonnell family who's managing the sale, says the collection encompasses more than 175 pieces, including photos, lithographs, etchings, sculpture, posters, and prints. McDonnell, who started MAXJAZZ in 1998 after retiring from a career as an investment banker, died from complications of a stroke in February of this year.

Before preparing for the sale, "I knew he had great quality, but I didn't realize the quantity," said Appel. The atmosphere of the event will be casual, he said, with drinks, music, and "no gallery stuffiness (no offense intended)."

The photo collection includes work by Jimmy Katz, who photographed many musicians for MAXJAZZ album covers; as well as pictures by William Gottlieb, William Claxton and Chuck Stewart, who's been in the news recently, as previously unseen photos he took of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane were rediscovered and donated to the Smithsonian. (Another of Stewart's famous photos of the saxophonist and his wife Alice Coltrane illustrates this post.)

There's also a 30-piece portfolio of images by Herman Leonard, which has been displayed for more than 10 years at Jazz at the Bistro and features iconic photos of Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and many more.

And speaking of Davis, McDonnell's collection of prints includes work by the trumpeter, who enjoyed drawing and painting when he wasn't making music, as well as William Tolliver and Joseph Holston, whose image of Coltrane was used for the poster for Jazz Appreciation Month this year.

"This is a great chance for new or experienced collectors to pick up a piece from the MAXJAZZ collection, and to see what a true lover of all things jazz that Richard was," said Appel. Prices will range from $50 for some modern reprints of historical posters, on up to $35,000 for a "huge" Holston painting, with much of the work in the $500 to $3,000 range.

"I know (that) isn't cheap," said Appel, "but a lot of it is museum-collected work that is rarely on the market, and for what it's worth, almost everything is nicely framed, and that is generally at least a $200 to $400 expense for a smaller piece that makes this work ready to hang and enjoy."

Appel said he's pleased that a number of the pieces already sold seem likely to stay in St. Louis collections, and will be available for loan to the Sheldon and the International Photography Hall of Fame for future exhibitions, "once again confirming the great taste that Richard had, as well as keeping his memory alive."

Memorial concert honoring MAXJAZZ's Richard McDonnell set for Sunday, May 25 at Jazz at the Bistro

A memorial concert honoring the late Richard "Rich" McDonnell and featuring artists from his MAXJAZZ label will take place starting at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, May 25 at Jazz at the Bistro.

The event will culminate in a headlining set at 7:00 p.m. featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford (pictured, above left), pianist Bruce Barth, saxophonist Tim Warfield, and singer Carla Cook, all of whom have recorded for MAXJAZZ, backed by St. Louis' Montez Coleman on drums and Bob DeBoo on bass.

Before that, though, the afternoon will feature a performance from Brilliant Corners, which is co-led by saxophonist Paul DeMarinis and guitarist Dave Black and was the first band to record on the MAXJAZZ label, as well as music from Good 4 the Soul, Jesse Gannon, Cheryl Brown, Funky Butt Brass Band, Jazz St. Louis' own Gene Dobbs Bradford and Phil Dunlap, and additional acts TBA. Look for a full schedule of bands on the Jazz St. Louis website the week of the event.

While the concert is free and open to the public with seating on a general admission basis, Jazz St. Louis is suggesting a donation of $25 at the door in honor of McDonnell, who died on February 8 of this year. An investment banker before he retired and founded MAXJAZZ, McDonnell (pictured, below left) also was a board member of Jazz St. Louis.

Richard McDonnell 1946 - 2014

Richard "Rich" McDonnell, the former investment banker who founded and ran the independent St. Louis-based label MAXJAZZ, has died. He was 68.

Several reports from friends on Facebook say that McDonnell had a stroke on Friday night while watching Houston Person and the Bill Charlap trio at Jazz at the Bistro, where he was a subscriber and a board member of the parent organization Jazz St. Louis. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died on Saturday.

McDonnell (pictured) grew up in Kirkwood and graduated from Washington University. He started MAXJAZZ in 1998 while still working for AG Edwards, then took early retirement from the investment firm in 2002 to run the label full time.

MAXJAZZ began by recording St. Louis musicians including the Kennedy Brothers, pianist Dave Venn, Mardra and Reggie Thomas, and Brilliant Corners, featuring Paul DeMarinis and Dave Black, but McDonnell soon began signing artists from all over the country, starting with singers Laverne Butler and Carla Cook.

In a 1999 interview with the Riverfront Times' Rene Spencer Saller, he talked about why he got into the record business:

"It was a combination of the music side of me and the business side of me," McDonnell responds, adding that he studied saxophone for many years. "I missed the opportunity to be out playing jazz. Although I've been a listener most of my life, that wasn't totally satisfactory. I wanted to do something that was more active. There was also my feeling, with increasing age, maybe, that we ought to go out of the scene doing something worthwhile. I felt that I could make some contribution to the arts, and that's the way this business is run. It's run efficiently as a business, but in the end, if it's not profitable, it's still my way of contributing to the arts."

In the years since, the label has become known internationally among jazz fans for swinging, mainstream recordings from musicians including Terell Stafford, Mulgrew Miller, Russell Malone and many others. Now with a catalog of more than 75 albums, MAXJAZZ last year inked a distribution agreement with industry giant Naxos.

Even as MAXJAZZ expanded, McDonnell continued to be an enthusiastic presence on the St. Louis scene,  regularly attending performances around town and befriending local musicians. (He also was an early supporter of St. Louis Jazz Notes, offering frequent encouragement as well as passing along news of the label's activities and thanks for coverage of their artists.)

Survivors include three sons: Boyd McDonnell, Carter McDonnell, and Clayton McDonnell, who worked with his dad running MAXJAZZ. StLJN will have more on this story, including information on funeral arrangements, as details become available.

Update - 10:12 a.m., 2/10/14: A "memorial gathering" for Rich McDonnell will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. this Thursday, February 13 at Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester Rd. in Kirkwood. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made in his name to Jazz St. Louis.

Update - 10:00 p.m., 2/11/13: More on Rich McDonnell:

"Remembering Richard McDonnell, MAXJAZZ Founder Dies At 68" by Terry Perkins, St. Louis Public Radio

"MAXJAZZ Label Owner Rich McDonnell Dies at 68" by Jeff Tamarkin, Jazz Times

"MAXJAZZ owner Richard McDonnell dies" by Kevin C. Johnson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
(Warning: autoplay video)

"RIP Richard McDonnell" and "A Visit to MAXJAZZ" by Ethan Iverson of The Bad Plus, writing on his blog Do The Math

(Edited after posting to fix a typo and update the info on survivors.)