So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer and bassist Janet Evra will provide the musical entertainment for “Wine and Jazz Under the Stars,” a benefit for Classic 107.3 (Radio Arts Foundation) to be held starting at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, September 12 at The Public School House in St. Charles.

The ticket price of $95 per person also includes appetizers by Russo’s Catering, wines from A. Bommarito Wines, free on-site parking, and the chance to participate in a silent auction of items including Cardinals baseball tickets, a wine-tasting package, gift certificates, and more. For details or to reserve a spot, go to https://classic1073.org/wine-and-jazz/.

* In an effort to "ensure the future of the music economy is sustainable, profitable, and inclusive," the Regional Arts Commission is conducting a survey of the St. Louis music scene, inviting participation from musicians, venues, festivals and fans. If you're in one of those categories, you're encouraged to complete the online survey form before October 10 at https://racstl.org/music-strategy/.

* More St. Louis venues are setting admission policies regarding COVID vaccinations and testing, as the new Chesterfield concert club The Factory and the Hollywood Casino Amphtheatre (aka Riverport) this week announced that patrons will be required to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to be admitted.

* Saxophonist Lisella Martin (pictured) was profiled in a feature story on Bloomington, IL's WGLT radio.

* Trumpeter and Webster Groves native Ally Hany Albrecht will transfer from the Air Force to the U.S. Navy and relocate from California to Washington DC to join the United States Navy Band Commodores, the premier jazz band of the Navy.

Albrecht, a graduate of North Texas State University and the Manhattan School of Music, has spent the past four years with the USAF Band of the Golden West at Travis Air Force Base, California.

* DownBeat magazine is conducting their annual readers poll, with voting continuing through Tuesday, September 14. If you're a subscriber to the print magazine, digital edition, or free email newsletter, you can cast a vote at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DownBeatReadersPoll.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis music venues this week continued to adjust their admission policies to cope with the regional resurgence of COVID and proliferation of the Delta variant. As reported by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, Blue Strawberry made the first move, announcing that it would require patrons to provice proof of vaccination. The Pageant, Delmar Hall, and Off Broadway quickly followed by announcing that they too will require proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test for entry.

* Nine PBS on Tuesday presented the broadcast premiere of Show Me the Music: A Celebration of the Missouri Bicentennial, a special program featuring Missouri musicians that was recorded in May at The Sheldon.

The lineup of performers includes pianist Peter Martin and his trio plus saxophonist Bobby Watson and trumpeter Keyon Harrold; singer Anita Jackson (pictured); pianist Royce Martin; bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent; a faculty ensemble from the University of Missouri playing a new piece composed specifically for the bicentennial; and more. The special will air multiple times on all four PBS affiliates in the state, and also can be seen on YouTube.

* Miles Davis was known as a sharp dresser, so perhaps it's fitting that the late trumpeter's estate recently added licensed neckties to his online store. You can see the three available designs, including "Bitches Brew," that are available for $59.99 each at https://www.milesdavisstore.com/store/.

* Drummer, educator and U City native Ronnie Burrage now is co-hosting a weekly podcast produced by City Jazz Sessions, for which he already has interviewed St. Louis expats including Russell Gunn, Kelvyn Bell, and Eric Person, as well as musicians working here locally. New episodes are webcast at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and can been seen (along with all the previous episodes) on the City Jazz Sessions YouTube channel.

* Guitarist Charles "Chip" Katz, a four-decade veteran of the St. Louis music scene, passed away on Sunday, August 8. He was 63 years old; no cause of death has been disclosed.

Katz performed across the area as a solo act, with a trio, and as accompanist to singers Anita Rosamond, Alan Ox, and numerous others. He also taught guitar in private lessons and through local music stores including Fazio's Frets and Friends and McMurray Music. Katz is survived by two sisters, two nieces, and two nephews. Funeral services will be private, and the family has requested that any memorial contributions be made in Katz's name to the charity of the donor's choice.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony, the seven-CD set drawn from the archives of saxophonist and Black Artists Group co-founder Julius Hemphill and released earlier this year, is the subject of a short feature/review for Jazz Times by Ted Panken.

* Trumpeter and East St. Louis native Russell Gunn, now based in Atlanta, has released the second recording from his band The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra. Titled The Sirius Mystery opus 4 no. 1, the album is out today via Ropeadope Records on all digital platforms, plus limited editions on CD and vinyl LP.

* Bassist Damon Smith, a recent transplant to St. Louis, also has a new recording, Houston 2012, out this week on digital and as a double CD. The album teams Smith with guitarists Keith Rowe and Sandy Ewen and the ensemble Gooseberry Marmalade.

* And speaking of new releases, a Miles Davis performance recorded in 1991 at La Villette in Paris, France will be released as The Lost Concert on digital services and as a two-CD set on Wednesday, September 29, the 30th anniversary of his death. The album (pictured) is the third in a series from Sleepy Night Records that started with Miles Davis: The Lost Quintet and continued with The Lost Septet, both released last year.

The Lost Concert is particularly noteworthy because Davis' then-current band was augmented for the date by numerous guest stars and former sidemen, including Chick Corea, Al Foster, Steve Grossman, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Darryl Jones, John McLaughlin, Jackie McLean, John Scofield, and Joe Zawinul.

* Gene Dobbs Bradford of Jazz St. Louis was interviewed about the organization's upcoming 2021-22 season by the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown.

* One of St. Louis' most acclaimed young talents is leaving town, as singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo this week announced in a Facebook post, "I have accepted a job as an audio engineer at a media group in Los Angeles. I’ll be driving from STL to LA this weekend." Saputo will play what she's calling her final show as a St. Louis resident tonight at Tower Grove Park (though she also is on the bill for the Music at the Intersection festival in September).

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 (pictured) spoke about his new role as creative advisor to Jazz St. Louis in a brief interview with Amanda Woytus of St. Louis magazine.

* Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, the documentary film about the trumpeter that was released earlier this year, has been nominated for two Emmy awards, for "Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary" and "Outstanding Sound."

* And speaking of Davis, comedian and actor Alonzo Bodden this week was a guest on the podcast The 500, talking about his love for Davis' album Sketches of Spain.

* St. Louis Music Park, the new 4,500-seat outdoor concert venue in Maryland Heights, is the subject of a feature story from the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

Sunday Session: July 25, 2021

Terri Lyne Carrington

Here's this week's roundup of various music-related items of interest:

* The Strange Magic Of YouTube's '80s Remix Culture (NPR)
* Meet Terri Lyne Carrington (AllAboutJazz.com)
* Summer of Soul review – the best concert film ever made? (The Guardian)
* What Will Happen to My Music Library When Spotify Dies? (The Atlantic)
* The Sounds of Healing (ReasonsToBeCheerful.world)
* Pressing issues: vinyl revival held back by production capacity, Brexit and more (The Guardian)
* NEA Names Its 2022 Jazz Masters: Hart, Clarke, Wilson And Harrison (NPR)
* Billy Gibbons: storyteller, hot sauce merchant, lover of public transport (LouderSound.com)
* A Guide to the Early Music of John Coltrane on Prestige Records (Bandcamp.com)
* Are You Relivin’ the Years?: How Steely Dan Became a Cult Favorite for Millennials (TheRinger.com)
* The Essential Herbie Hancock (San Francisco Classical Voice)
* Thelonious Monk Estate Says Biopic Starring Yasiin Bey Is Unauthorized (Pitchfork.com)
* Yasiin Bey says he won’t play jazz legend Thelonious Monk in biopic since family disapproves (NME.com)
* Jazz Night's Favorite Grooves Of 2021, So Far (NPR)
* Funkadelic's 'Maggot Brain' At 50: R&B, Psychedelic Rock And A Black Guitarist's Cry (NPR)
* ‘My strength isn’t looking at a computer screen. I wouldn’t join the music business today, because I don’t want to be a typist.’ (MusicBusinessWorldwide.com)
* From Soldier to Jazz Giant: The Life of Billy Bang (Bandcamp.com)
* Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Reflects On Leaving – And Sharing – '622' (NPR)
* The greatest keyboard players of all time, revealed (MusicRadar.com)
* Monterey Jazz Festival Quickly Sells Out Despite No Vaccination Requirements (DigitalMusicNews.com)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Keyboardist and Metro East native David Garfield is set to release Stretchin' Outside The Box, the sixth and final installment in his "Outside The Box" series of albums, on Monday, September 27.

As the title suggests, the two-CD, 24-song set (pictured) features Garfield doing some extended jamming with an impressive array of guest stars, including Gerald Albright, Eric Marienthal, Chuck Loeb, Marcus Miller, Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr., Rick Braun, Randy Brecker, Nathan East, Steve Gadd, Greg Phillinganes, David Paich, and more.

* There's a new episode of David Sanborn's "Sanborn Sessions" posted online this week, with bassist and vocalist Sting as the special guest joining the saxophonist and friends in the studio. You can see this latest episode in the embedded video window at the bottom of this post, and check out previous installments via the series' YouTube channel.

* A story from St. Louis Public Radio's Evie Hemphill examines the potential effects of the opening of two new live music venues, The Factory and St. Louis Music Park, in west St. Louis County.

* Sunday, August 1 is the deadline to apply for the Kranzberg Arts Foundation's 2021-22 artist-in-residence program. You can get details and submit an application at the foundation's website.

* Also from the Kranzberg foundation this week comes word that the "Open Air" concerts outside the Grandel Theatre will continue through August (though the band lineup for the month contains more blues than jazz).

* Trumpeter Andy Tichenor, who's played in the pit orchestras at The Muny and Fox Theatre and with various local big bands, has been hospitalized with "a serious infection," and friends have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his medical and living expenses.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

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

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

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Merci, Miles! Live at Vienne, the newly released album of previously unheard recordings from Miles Davis' last concert (pictured), was reviewed in Jazz Times magazine.

* Generations, the new release from the Baylor Project (featuring St. Louis' own Marcus Baylor and spouse Jean Baylor) is among the albums named by NPR to their list of favorites of 2021 (so far).

* The Baylors also are featured this month in an article on Grammy.com spotlighting "8 Jazz Artists Honoring Black Geniuses."

* The Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival this week announced that the event will return on Saturday, September 19, featuring a dozen acts on two stages with headliners including blues guitarist/singer Marquise Knox, jazz-fusion band Bach to the Future, and singer Erin Bode.

* St. Louis magazine's annual "A-List" issue is out, and readers' picks for 2021 include the Funky Butt Brass Band as "Favorite Original Band", The Pageant as "Favorite Live Music Venue" and Erin Bode as "Favorite Vocalist." You can see the entire issue (albeit in flip-book format) here.

* Organizers of the upcoming Music at the Intersection festival have put together a Spotify playlist featuring the acts that will be playing at the three-day event.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Gateway Studio and Production Services, a new multi-million dollar music and video facility to be built in Chesterfield, is the subject of a feature story from St. Louis Public Radio's Kendall Crawford..

* Bassist and singer Janet Evra (pictured) announced this week in a Facebook post that she's been invited to join the Recording Academy, the organization that oversees the annual Grammy Awards. Evra is one of 2,710 invitees this year, including 48 percent female, 32 percent Black or African American+, 13 percent Hispanic or Latino/a/x+, and four percent Asian or Pacific Islander+, as the Academy works toward diversifying its membership.

* Guitarist Steve Schenkel has been appointed music director at First Unity Church of St. Louis in South County. Schenkel, who teaches music at Webster University and works as a player and contractor with the Fox Theatre and Muny orchestras, plans to invite various musician friends to perform at the church, starting this Sunday, July 4 with pianist and fellow Webster University faculty member Carolbeth True. (See the church's website for info on future guest performances.)

* Bassist Darin Gray once again has delved into his archives and come up with more previously unreleased music from On Fillmore, his duo project with drummer Glenn Kotche. The album is called Chicago 2002, and it's now available on Bandcamp.

* As reported by CBS News, Miya Ponsetto, the woman seen earlier this year in a viral video attacking trumpeter Keyon Harrold's teenage son, has been indicted by a Manhattan court on hate crime and other charges, including unlawful imprisonment, aggravated harassment, and endangering a child. Ponsetto's next court date related to the charges is October 20.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Sheldon's jazz series for the 2021-22 season is previewed in an article by the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown.

* Merci, Miles! Live at Vienne, featuring previously unrelased recordings of one of Miles Davis' final live shows in the summer of 1991, is out today as a 2-CD set or vinyl double LP.

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) were interviewed on the most recent episode of Hank Thompson's KDHX podcast "Tangazo."

* The Post-Dispatch/STLtoday this week went into their archives to republish photos and a story about the night in 1965 when Frank Sinatra and the "Rat Pack" came to St. Louis to perform in a charity benefit. There's also a video of the event, which can be seen on YouTube.

* Keep Live Alive St. Louis last week announced that they've raised more than $100,000 to help local music industry workers who lost income due to the pandemic.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Lauren Parks, president of the House of Miles in East St. Louis, was interviewed for a Belleville News Democrat article about local culture in ESL.

* Asleep at the Wheel's concert last Friday at the Fox Theatre was reviewed by Dan Durchholz for the Post-Dispatch. The Post also published a gallery of photos from the gig.

* Also in the Post-Dispatch, Kevin Johnson reports on bassist Jahmal Nichols scoring a documentary that aired on PBS. There's also a brief video accompanying the story.

* Still in the Post, Kevin Johnson interviewed singer Robert Nelson about this Saturday's Juneteenth show at Blue Strawberry, and there's a video with that story, too.

* The Riverfront Times reports that the Way Out Club, a fixture of south city nightlife and alternative music for 27 years, will close permanently next month.

* A 1976 interview of saxophonist Julius Hemphill on the public radio program "Fresh Air" was resurfaced this week by pianist Ethan Iverson, who offered his commentary on the talk via Twitter.

* Marcus Baylor and Jean Baylor of the Baylor Project (pictured) were the featured guests this week on radio station WBGO's online video talk show "The Pulse."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Ulysses Owens, Jr

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

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation this week announced that they'll be taking applications for their 2021-22 artist-in-residency program starting Tuesday, June 15. The program is open to all individual artists - visual arts, writers, filmmakers, etc - as well as musicians. The deadline to apply is August 1; for more information or to submit an application, go to https://www.kranzbergartsfoundation.org/residencies/.

* The Sheldon's Peter Palermo discusses the hall's immediate post-pandemic plans and next season in an interview with the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown..

* Drummer and educator Henry Ettman will be teaching a jazz course online next month via the Washington University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. "New Sounds, New Artists, New Scenes: Jazz in the 21st Century" will explore "new and evolving artists and groups, changing jazz styles from mainstream to avant-garde, and the impact of external forces such as technology, political/cultural turbulence and the pandemic." The course will meet (online) from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesdays starting July 7, continuing through July 28. To register, go to https://osher.wustl.edu/course-registration-2/ or call (314) 935-4237.

* The connections between Miles Davis' late-period electric music and "punk jazz" are elucidated in a review of the trumpeter's album Dark Magus newly published on the swesite PunkNews.org.

* Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson was interviewed by Daniel Durchholz for the Post-Dispatch in advance of the band's gig tonight at the Fox Theatre.

* Pianist Peter Martin's company Open Studio is introducing another weekly webcast, this one starring drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. in "a journey through all things #DRUMS with various guest drummers, musicians, artists, and music industry professionals." The program will air live at 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays on the company's Facebook page, starting next week with drummer Lewis Nash as the featured guest/interviewee.

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:

* Drummer Dave Weckl is the subject of the cover story of the May 2021 issue of Modern Drummer magazine (pictured).

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold talks about his new job as creative advisor to Jazz St. Louis in an interview with the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown.

* Keyboardist Dave Grelle was interviewed in advance of his gig tonight at City Foundry by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* The Post/STLtoday also has published an "IParty" photo gallery from last Saturday's show by singer Janet Evra and pianist Prah Williams at Blue Strawberry.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley was the featured guest on the latest episode of "The Trumpet Gurus" podcast.

* Generations, the forthcoming album from drummer Marcus Baylor's Baylor Project that's set for release on Friday, June 18, was previewed in a brief post on the blog Soul and Jazz and Funk.

* Marking the 95th anniversary of the trumpeter's birth, an article in the UK's Far Out Magazine attempts to answer the question "Why Do So Many Rock Stars Love Miles Davis?"

So What: Local, News & Notes

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

* Saxophonist David Sanborn (pictured) has released a new episode of his "Sanborn Sessions" online video series with bassist Marcus Miller as his featured guest, plus drummer Billy Kilson and pianist Geoffrey Keezer.

* Jazz St. Louis is one of 16 independent music venues across the country that this week received a grant from the Live Music Society. The grants, which range from $10,000 to $50,000, are intended to help smaller venues stay financially viable as the music industry attempts a post-pandemic restart.

* STLtoday has posted an album of photos from the Galactic shows last weekend at The Big Top.

* St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin has written a story reporting on the reopening plans of local concert venues including The Sheldon, The Pageant, The Big Top, and others.

* Mikie Sellers, the impresario behind the new "Jazz and Cars" outdoor concert series on the grounds of Gateway Classic Cars in O'Fallon, IL, was interviewed on FOX 2's morning newscast.

* An article by Mark Beckford on TheGrio.com looks at the ultimately unsuccessful effort to preserve St. Louis native Josephine Baker's famed cabaret in Paris.

* DePaul William "Willy" Smith, who played saxophone with the Original Knights of Swing, the Meramec Jazz Lab Band, and other groups around town, has died at age 90.

* JAZZIZ magazine's "The Week in Jazz" column for this week has a couple of St. Louis mentions, noting the announcement of the "Music at the Intersection" festival and previewing a track from keyboardist Michael Silverman's forthcoming album.

* Radio station Classic 107.3 will raise funds next month with "Classical Cocktails," an online event to be held on Sunday, June 13. The festivities will include dinner and cocktails from Salt + Smoke, plus music from pianists Orli Shaham and Dominic Cheli, the Pro Arte Quartet, the Arianna String Quartet, and violinist David Perry. For more info or to make a reservation, visit https://classic1073.org/classical-cocktails/.

* As reported by the Post-Dispatch's Steph Kukuljan, a company called Gateway Studios LLC has announced plans to acquire 32 acres of land just north of the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield to build an $88 million facilty for music, video and film production. Gateway Studios, which currently operates in Pennsylvania, will seek both tax incentives and publically financed bonds to help pay for the project.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis on Wednesday announced the appointment of trumpeter Keyon Harrold to the newly established position of Creative Advisor. During his three-year appointment, Harrold (pictured) will perform annually at Jazz St. Louis, starting with a five-night run coming up in December of this year.

He also will be involved with the organization's "Jazz Speaks" and residency programs; will create "a major commissioned work reflecting on the St. Louis community" to close JSL's 2023-24 season; and take part in "other appearances, performances, and events."

* A previously unreleased recording of Miles Davis performing at the Vienne Jazz Festival in one of his final concerts will be issued as Merci, Miles by Rhino Records on Friday, June 25. The recording will be available on all major digital music services as well as both a two-CD set and a double LP, and can be pre-ordered here.

* Also on the Miles Davis beat, here's a feature story about Mikel Elam, a visual artist from Philadelphia who served as Davis' personal assistant from October 1987 until the trumpeter's death in September 1991.

* Drummer Demarius Hicks was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson about his Chick Corea tribute show playing Saturday night at The Grandel's "Open Air" tent.

* Also from the Post-Dispatch, an "iParty" gallery of photos from singer Denise Thimes' shows last weekend at Blue Strawberry.

* Shake The Rum, the newest album from trombonist Charlie Halloran, a St. Louis native now living in New Orleans, and his band, the Tropicales, was reviewed in Offbeat magazine.

* Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina is one of six up-and-coming artists from St. Louis and Detroit profiled in "The Flavor of Two Cities," a new ad campaign for distilled spirits maker Jack Daniel's. You can see a promotional video featuring her and Detroit's Leonard Ware (aka Drummer B) here.

* The reaction of local music venues and theaters to the easing of some coronavirus restrictions in Missouri is the subject of a feature story from St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jim Widner may have retired last year as director of jazz studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, but the veteran bassist and educator is continuing his long-running business of running summer jazz camps, setting up this year at St. Charles Community College. Widner's summer 2021 camp will run June 13-17 and is open to high school, middle school and college students as well as adults who "want to hone their skills in the art of jazz."

Instructors will include trumpeter Bijon Watson (Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra), trombonist Scott Whitfield (Bill Holman and Bob Florence Big Bands), and saxophonists Chip McNeill (Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson) and Mary Fettig (Stan Kenton Orchestra), plus local musician/educators such as Rick Haydon, Kevin Gianino, Brett Stamps, Jim Martin, and Ken Kehner. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu/yatp.

* Drummer Dave Weckl's new album Live In St Louis at the Chesterfield Jazz Festival was featured on the April 13 episode of the "Bitches Brew" podcast.

* Dozens of St. Louis musicians have teamed up to release a new compilation album (pictured) paying tribute to poet, promoter and former KDHX DJ Brett Underwood for his work promoting adventurous music in St. Louis as a collaborator, on his radio program "The No Show," and as a presenter of live performances, most recently at the Schlafly Tap Room downtown.

Produced by electronic musician Eric Hall, Horsey Can’t Swim - A Love Letter To Brett Underwood includes 43 tracks encompassing free improv, alt-rock, noise, experimental music, and more. Contributors to the the project include Jaap Blonk & Damon Smith, Syna So Pro, Ghost Ice, Raglani, Michael Williams, NNN Cook, Alex Cunningham, caveofswords, Tory Starbuck, and a number of others.

All the proceeds from the recording's pay-what-you-want sales on Bandcamp will go to Underwood, whose hours as a bartender and show booker at the Tap Room were cut back drastically when the COVID pandemic began.

* And speaking of the COVID pandemic, the efforts of the group "Keep Live Alive Saint Louis" to support local workers in the entertainment industry over the past year were spotlighted in a feature by Andrea Smith of Ladue News

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Violinist Alex Cunningham will be featured alongside U.S. Maple guitarist Mark Shippy on a new duo recording called Ghost Note. The album (pictured), which features a series of improvised duets, will be released by the Personal Archives label as a vinyl LP and to digital music services on Friday, June 4.

* Drummer Dave Weckl's new album Live in St. Louis at the Chesterfield Jazz Festival was reviewed by Modern Drummer magazine. The album also is featured this month in a Jazziz magazine article, "Crate Digging: 10 Albums You Need to Know for April 2021."

* An essay by bassist and Wash U faculty member Paul Steinbeck about composer George Lewis has been republished on the website of the CTM Festival in Berlin

* Bassist Tom Kennedy's forthcoming album Stories was previewed in an article on BroadwayWorld.com.

* Across the state in Sedalia, MO, the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival has announced that while there will be no festival in 2021 due to COVID concerns, the annual event will return on June 1-4, 2022.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Kendrick Smith was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, talking about this Saturday's jazz fundraiser show at the Grandel Theatre's "Open Air" tent. There's also a short video accompanying the article.

* Also from Kevin Johnson in the Post, pianist and singer John McDaniel talks up his return engagement tomorrow night at Blue Strawberry.

* Stories, the forthcoming album from bassist Tom Kennedy (pictured), is previewed in an article in Bass magazine. The album is set for release by Autumn Hill Records on Friday, May 21.

* The Sheldon Art Galleries will open a new exhibit of musical instruments created by local students on Friday, April 30 in the AT&T Children's Gallery.

* An interview with drummer Dave Weckl by Daniel Durchholz in the Post-Dispatch discusses Weckl's new live album, his recent move back to the St. Louis area, and more.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Fox Theatre will reopen on a limited basis beginning later this month to host a concert series featuring local acts, including the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured) on Friday, April 23.

* After canceling their 2020 event due to the COVID pandemic, the Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival this week announced plans for a return this fall on Saturday, September 18. The event will run from noon until 11:00 p.m. with a total of 12 bands (still TBA) on two stages.

* Last Saturday's webcast ceremony for this year's group of inductees to the Dan and Heide Wolff Institute's St. Louis Jazz Hall of Fame at Harris Stowe State University has been archived and now can be seen on YouTube.

* A streaming performance by singer/pianist Tony DeSare and singer Capathia Jenkins to benefit Cabaret Project of St. Louis was reviewed by KDHX's Judi Mann.

* The newly issued Julius Hemphill seven-CD box set The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony was reviewed by UK jazz writer Richard Williams at his blog The Blue Moment.

* Commemorating the 51st anniversary of the landmark album's release on March 30, 1970, the UK website Far Out goes "Revisiting the revolutionary brilliance of 'Bitches Brew' by Miles Davis."

* Bassist Darin Gray was interviewed about his new release The Reduction (music for dance) and more by the website Recital.