So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was interviewed on St. Louis Public Radio's "St. Louis On The Air" about his new role as artistic advisor for Jazz St. Louis.

* The Post-Dispatch/STLToday has published an "iParty" gallery of photos from keyboardist Dave Grelle's show last Friday at City Foundry.

* A little-heard live audio recording of drummer Phillip Wilson (pictured) from March 1979 in Rome has surfaced on YouTube. The bootleg recording, nearly 2 1/2 hours long, features Wilson leading a trio with trumpeter Olu Dara and pianist/vocalist Donald Smith, joined on three tracks by trombonist Joseph Bowie, saxophonist Luther Thomas, and bassist Darrell Mixon.

* And speaking of archival material, a newly colorized version of footage of the Miles Davis Quintet performing at the Teatro dell'Arte in Milan, Italy in October 1964 has been uploaded to YouTube.

* Drummer Rob Silverman and keyboardist Ptah Williams were interviewed by St. Louis magazine's Amanda Woytus about Rhythm City, their recently released recording on Silverman's Autumn Hill label.

* Singer Anita Jackson was interviewed about upcoming gigs and the difficulties of the past year by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* St. Louis is one of the cities mentioned by Rolling Stone magazine in a newly published article about "7 Bucket List Destinations for Blues Lovers." The story namechecks BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, the National Blues Museum, and, in an indication that the piece may have been in the works for a while, Beale on Broadway, which closed more than two years ago in January 2019.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Chuck Flowers (pictured) was interviewed on the webcast "Jazz in the AM."

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has released a clip from his most recent "Online Sessions" video, a version of "Georgia On My Mind" recorded with organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Billy Kilson.

* In a new video for Rhythm magazine, drummer Dave Weckl reveals the details of his home studio setup for playing and teaching online.

* Also on the Weckl beat, he and fellow drummer Rob Silverman were the guests on last week's Modern Drummer podcast, discussing their most recent recordings and the drumming contest being sponsored by the magazine and their label Autumn Hill Records.

* The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson this week reported that Atomic Cowboy, the long-running bar, restaurant and music venue in The Grove neighborhood, has closed permanently and put all its equipment and fixtures up for auction.

* Also from Kevin Johnson in the Post, a look at how cabaret venue Blue Strawberry has adapted to present different types of live music during the pandemic.

* An article at UDiscoverMusic.com takes a retrospective look at Miles Davis' classic 1950s album Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet.

* In more Miles Davis-related news, tattoo artist Kat Von D is being sued by a Los Angeles photographer who alleges that a tattooed image of Davis rendered by Von D for one of her customers infringes on his copyrighted photo of the trumpeter.

* And finally, a short feature in Far Out magazine recounts the story of the time in 1969 when Davis was asked by guitarist Jimi Hendrix to form a "supergroup" that also would have included drummer Tony Williams and Beatles bassist Paul McCartney.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold this week kicked off Black History Month by putting together a "Black Lives Matter" playlist for Spotify.

* Also for Black History Month, SiriusXM will revive for a limited time only their Miles Davis Radio channel, with "music from over 100 of Davis’ albums and featuring alumni band members as hosts," including Marcus Miller, Lenny White, John Beasley, Joey DeFrancesco, and Davis' nephew Vince Wilburn Jr.

* Keyboardist Pete Ruthenburg talks about future plans for recordings and gigs in an interview with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* The Post-Dispatch this week also published a photo feature commemorating the return of Josephine Baker (pictured) on February 3, 1952 to perform in her hometown for the first time since becoming internationally famous.

* Autumn Hill Records, the all-digital label operated by brothers Mike and Rob Silverman, has teamed up with Modern Drummer magazine to present "The Modern Drummer Drumology Playalong Contest."

Contestants are invited to download and record a video of themselves playing along with a track from Rob Silverman's recent solo recording, which also features fellow drummers Simon Phillips and Dave Weckl. Prizes for the contest, which ends on Sunday, Feburary 28, include a Spinelli "Floating Snare" and Drumology prize packs.

* And speaking of contests, the National Saxophone Museum (located within St. Louis woodwind dealer Saxquest) is sponsoring "a $5000 prize purse contest to give all saxophone players a chance to have some fun, showcase their art, and perhaps “cash in” on their passion."

Prizes range from $500 to $2,500 for the three top winners, and there also will be prizes awarded for young artists, honorable mention, and "People's Choice." Registration for the contest continues through Friday, April 30.

* Writing in the Los Angeles Times, former St. Louisan Randall Roberts looks at "The tortured, touching love saga of Cicely Tyson and Miles Davis."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold has written an essay for USA Today about the recent incident at a New York City hotel in which he and his teenage son were assaulted and falsely accused of theft.

* Keyboardist David Garfield's re-release of a track featuring singer-guitarist Boz Scaggs was the subject of a brief feature in American Songwriter magazine.

* Rhythm City, the recent album from pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Larry Kornfeld, and drummer Rob Silverman, received a four-star review in the February 2021 issue of DownBeat magazine.

* Singer Erika Johnson (pictured) talked about her new band The Gemini Project in an interview with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson. The group debuts this Saturday at Blue Strawberry.

* As also reported by Kevin Johnson in the Post-Dispatch, The Sheldon has postponed its "Coffee Concerts" series that had been scheduled to resume this spring until the fall and winter of 2021-22.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn is starting a new series of online master classes on Sunday, January 31. For details on the classes and pricing, or to register, visit his website.

* A story from St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin looks at the potential impact of government relief funds on local arts and cultural organizations affected by the COVID pandemic.

* AllAboutJazz.com recently surveyed readers to find out what they consider to be the "top jazz cities" in the world, and St. Louis came in at #42. (Insert your own Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy joke here.) The top five jazz cities as determined by AAJ.com readers are New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Paris, and London; Kansas City was ranked as #13.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* A long-unheard audio interview with Miles Davis, conducted in 1969 at the trumpeter's NYC home for the Japanese publication Swing Journal, has resurfaced on YouTube.

* In related news, Keyon Harrold joined fellow trumpeters Sean Jones, Jeremy Pelt, and Etienne Charles for a discussion on last week's episode of Jazziz magazine's "Miles Monday" podcast.

* Singer Robert Nelson (pictured) was the featured guest on last week's "Coffee Conversations" podcast from Shock City School of Music.

* Drummer Rob Silverman's latest album Drumology was reviewed by Glide magazine.

* Following the removal of a statue of Christopher Columbus from Tower Grove Park, a report from St. Louis Public Radio's Shala Farzan says that the candidates being discussed for a possible replacement statue include singer, dancer and St. Louis native Josephine Baker.

* Hasan Kenyatta Lake, son of saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake, has died at age 48, according to a report in the St. Louis American. The younger Lake worked as a barber and also was involved in music, releasing a rap album, Laclede Town Survivor, in 2001.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* A "roll in" event put on last week by local sound, lighting and stage workers in support of the #SaveOurStages campaign was the subject of a feature story in the St. Louis Labor Tribune.

For more information on the campaign, which seeks federal relief for independent music venues affected by the pandemic, go to https://www.saveourstages.com/.

* Pianist and Webster U faculty member Kim Portnoy has released a new album of his compositions titled Caprice: The Chamber Music of Kim Portnoy.

* Rick Beato, a popular YouTuber who usually discusses and analyzes rock and pop music, turned his attention last week to jazz and Miles Davis with a video titled "The Picasso of Sound- The man who changed MODERN music."

* Drummer Rob Silverman's latest release Drumology was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Jim Worsley.

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:

* Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) was the featured guest on the most recent episode of brass manufacturer Stomvi USA's "Schools of Thought" webcast.

* Syncopated Times this week published a review of Cool It If You Can, the most recent album from Miss Jubilee, as well of reviews of The Low Down Piano, the latest from the band's keyboardist Ethan Leinwand, and the debut release from the St. Louis Steady Grinders, a duo project featuring Leinwand and the band's vocalist, Valerie Kirchoff.

* The online magazine Glide this week previewed “Brave New World,” a track from drummer Rob Silverman's upcoming album Drumology. The album features Silverman collaborating with fellow drummers Simon Phillips, Gregg Bissonette, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, John Blackwell and Casey Adams, and will be released in October on Autumn Hill Records, the label operated by Silverman and his brother, keyboardist Michael Silverman.

* BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups downtown is reopening on a limited basis with live music, and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson wrote an article about how they're handling things under pandemic conditions. (Note: story is paywalled)

* Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has been filling his YouTube channel with a series of duets with keyboardists Greg Mills and Jim Hegarty, a number of them recorded post-lockdown using social distancing. You can see his "best of" playlist here.

* Miles Davis' nephew, drummer and producer Vince Wilburn Jr. was interviewed on a recent episode of Jazziz magazine's "Last Call" podcast.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* KDHX has posted on their site some photos shot by Joanna Kleine of last Friday's Snarky Puppy show at the Old Rock House.

* Speaking of photo sets, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted one to their Facebook page featuring pix from their concert last week at Kirkwood Park.

* Former St. Louisan Reggie Thomas, now teaching jazz at Michigan State University, will be the pianist in the band backing contestants in the 2013 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, which will be held on September 15 and 16 in Washington DC.

* Drummer Rob Silverman and keyboardist Mike Silverman of Bach to the Future, Silverman Productions and Autumn Hill Records have released a new digital single on iTunes, a version of Paul Desmond's "Take Five," that features performances from famous friends Eric Marienthal on sax, John Patittucci on bass and Randy Brecker on trumpet.

* And speaking of getting famous, Mark Colenburg's national profile continues to rise, the most recent evidence being a promotional video in which the drummer and St. Louis native (pictured) talks about his endorsement deal with Yamaha.

* Would you like $50 worth of free stuff from Saxquest? Well, all you have to do is enter and win this month's saxophone trivia contest on their website.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall still is accepting entries in the songwriting contest they're sponsoring in conjunction with the STL250 celebration. The winning composer of a St. Louis inspired song gets a cash prize, a performance at First Night in Grand Center, Inc and more. Get the details at http://www.thesheldon.org/songcontest.asp

* Saint Louis University is sponsoring the first annual Kwame Foundation Jazz Composition Competition for high school seniors and college students. The top three scores in each division get a performance and recording of their composition at a concert next year. The high school winner also will receive a $2,000 scholarship to SLU, and the college division winner gets a $500 cash prize.

The competition is open to all students and is not limited to music majors. Submissions must be received before September 1, and can be made online as Finale or PDF files at http://slu.edu/jazzcompetition. For more details, visit the site or email jazz-competition@slu.edu.

* The Miles Davis Memorial Project will have a booth at the Alton Block Party this Saturday, August 17. Volunteers will be sharing information about the statue of Miles Davis planned for downtown Alton, and selling commemorative bricks to pay for it. In addition, actor Joshua Young will be on hand to portray Davis.

The Project will operate a similar booth at the Alton Farmers' & Artisans' Market from 8:00 a. m. to noon on Saturday, August 31. The commemorative bricks, which will be installed in the area surrounding the statue, also can be purchased via the website of Pride, Inc and in person or by mail from the organization's offices at 5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey, IL 62035.

* Jazz radio update: Over at the Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, Saturday's edition of Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” highlights jazz interpretations of popular music, with artists including pianist Vijay Iyer, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts and guitarist Charlie Hunter offering their takes on tunes from Pink Floyd to Radiohead.

That same evening, Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective" will offer a tribute to George Duke, plus music from Jeff Lorber Fusion, The Brand New Heavies, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, the Brian Vaccaro Trio, Jim Manley, Tim Cunningham and Hugh 'Peanuts' Whalum.

Wilson's program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. and Church's at 9:00 Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2 and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.