So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist and St. Louis native Tom McDermott's latest album is the subject of a feature in New Orleans' Offbeat magazine.

* The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted on Facebook a photo set from Tuesday's recent "Notes From Home" performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* On a related note, the Rt66JO's re-organization after budget cuts forced them to leave their longtime home at St. Louis Community College - Meramec was the subject of a St. Louis Beacon feature story written by Terry Perkins.

* Also in the Beacon, readers wax nostalgic about the Goldenrod Showboat, which served for many years as a live music venue on the St. Louis riverfront but now finally may be headed for the scrap heap.

* Trombonist William Cepeda's concert last Friday at the Sheldon was briefly reviewed (en Espanol) and photographed by the website Diario Digital. (Google translation of the text to English is here.)

* Organizers of the Miles Davis Memorial Project seeking to put up a statue of the trumpeter in downtown Alton have put online a new promotional video for their fund-raising campaign.

* Speaking of videos, Trombone Shorty (pictured), who will play here in St. Louis on November 11 at the Old Rock House, has released a clip of the song "Fire and Brimstone" from his new album Say That To Say This.

* And speaking of new releases, Vintage Vinyl will hold a "listening party" (complete with free pizza and beverages) to check out Black Radio 2, the new album from pianist Robert Glasper, at 7:00 p.m. next Wednesday, October 30.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* With a little more than 24 hours to go, KDHX (88.1 FM) yesterday met their Kickstarter campaign goal of $50,000 to build a 125-seat performance space at the station's new headquarters on Washington Ave in the Grand Center district.

The campaign's final days were marked by a social media push on Facebook and Twitter involving local music fans and bloggers, and also got some coverage from reporter Heidi Glaus of local NBC affiliate KSDK. The various premiums still are available to anyone who pledges before the campaign ends at noon on Friday.

* Metrotix and Tap Heritage, Inc. are offering a $5 discount on tickets for "All That Tap XXII," this year's installment of the annual tap dance festival to be held Saturday at the Edison Theater on the Washington University campus.

The event features tap stars of movies, Broadway and TV performing in tap dance styles from jazz to hip-hop, with live music from pianist Carolbeth True's trio. The regular ticket price is $25, so the discounted price is $20 per ticket. To access the offer, go to the Metrotix site and enter promo code ATT.  The offer ends at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

* Quartette Humaine, the new album from David Sanborn and Bob James, was reviewed by Chris Parker for London Jazz News.

* Jim Widner (pictured)  - bassist, bandleader, educator and head of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival - was the subject of a profile by Ruth Ezell of local PBS affiliate KETC's Living St. Louis, as well as a feature story by the UMSL Daily.

* And speaking of profiles, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes this week were the subjects of one written by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon.

* Perkins this week also wrote for the Beacon a preview of the upcoming St. Louis Cabaret Festival.

* And on the same subject, singer Jason Graae, who will be appearing at the Cabaret Festival and accompanying conference, was interviewed by KDHX's "Break A Leg" podcast.

* The St. Louis Stompers are headlining this weekend at the 21st annual Lakeside DixieFest in Clear Lake, IA.

* Jazz St. Louis this week announced that the organization posted double-digit percentage increases in subscription and single ticket sales revenues this past season, with total revenue for all Jazz at the Bistro activity up 17% over the previous year.

Subscription revenue grew by 13% to $151,417, with total subscription seats sold rising 8% to 5,755. New subscription seats sold for Jazz at the Bistro increased 26% over fiscal 2012, and average per-set attendance increased 7% compared to the previous year. In a press release, Jazz St. Louis' Bob Bennett attributed the growth to a record number of new subscription seats purchased, an 85% renewal rate, and an overall increase in the number of shows subscribers are purchasing.

JSL also announced this week that Wells Fargo Advisors will contribute $100,000 to be "presenting sponsor" of the 2013-14 Jazz at the Bistro season, marking the third year the company has made a "leadership gift" to the organization.

* Jazz radio update: This week at Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, saxophonist Joe Henderson's  achievements as a bandleader, composer and accompanist will be the subject of this week's episode of Calvin Wilson's "Somethin' Else." In addition to music from Henderson, the program also will feature sounds from saxophonist Marcus Strickland and singer Holly Cole. 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. 

Elsewhere on the radio dial, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program this Sunday will feature the music of Fats Waller, as interpreted by Waller himself and pianists James P. Johnson, Earl Hines and Dick Hyman, plus St. Louis’s own Ralph Sutton and his sister Barbara Sutton Curtis.

Owsley also will spin new music from Ralph Alessi, Melton Mustafa, the Joel Harrison 19, Mark Gross, Oliver Jones, Fred Hersch, Laszlo Gardony, Kenny Barron, Jacky Terrasson, Edward Simon, Scott Newman, Ben Monder, and RJ and the Association. "Jazz Unlimited" can be heard from 9:00 pm to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) or online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Tonight's New Music Circle concert featuring Trinity Piano Trio was previewed by Terry Perkins of the St. Louis Beacon and Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Actress/singer Molly Ringwald, who will be in St. Louis to perform next Tuesday and Wednesday at Jazz at the Bistro, had a few words with the P-D's Kevin Johnson.

* Oliver Lake's recent big band release Wheels was reviewed by Aaron Cohen and made an Editors' Pick in the latest issue of DownBeat, while All Decks, the saxophonist and former St. Louisan's recent collaborative effort with Christian Weber and Dieter Ulrich, was reviewed by John Sharpe for AllAboutJazz.com

* Singer and former St. Louisan Jan Shapiro's latest CD Piano Bar After Hours was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's C. Michael Bailey.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn is profiled in the latest issue of the American Federation of Musicians' publication International Musician. Sanborn and keyboardist Bob James are about to launch a tour in support of their new collaborative album Quartette Humaine, and to promote it, they've also released a "making of" video and are offering a free download of a sample track, "Deep In The Weeds," from the recording.

* Speaking of Sanborns, longtime local DJ and impresario Rick Sanborn (no relation to David) will be a guest on this Saturday night's broadcast of "The Jazz Collective" with Jason Church. The program airs at 9:00 p.m. as part of the Saturday night jazz block on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' new classical station, following the syndicated "Jazz at Lincoln Center" at 7:00 p.m. and "Somethin' Else" with Calvin Wilson at 8:00 p.m.. RAF-STL's programming can be heard on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

* And while we're on the radio beat, the sixth part of Dennis Owsley's audio documentary on the history of St. Louis jazz, covering the Black Artists Group of the late 1960s and early 1970s, will air during Owsley's "Jazz Unlilmited" program at 9:00 p.m. this Sunday on KWMU (90.7 FM). Also, the Sheldon Art Galleries have announced that they will reprise the companion exhibition for Owsley's book City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis, 1895-1973 this summer from June 7 until August 17.

* Saxophonist Fred Walker (pictured) is one of the plaintiffs in a suit filed this week by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the City of St. Louis' new licensing requirements for street performers. The suit alleges that, by forcing performers to audition and charging a $100 fee for a permit, the ordinance violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments with vague terms that outlaw “a substantial amount of expressive activity.”

* Lastly, filmmaker Rod Milam sent a link to a brief video showing artist and fellow U City native Tom Seltzer installing his original limited edition prints of portraits of jazz greats at Dizzy's On 5th in Park Slope in Brooklyn, NYC. The show went up this past Sunday, May 5 and will hang until November 2013. Seltzer's subjects include Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins. The images can be seen online and prints purchased at http://seltzerstudio.com/store.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis radio gets a couple more hours of jazz each week starting at 8:00 p.m. this Saturday, April 13, as The Jazz Collective debuts on the new Radio Arts Foundation station. Host Jason Church calls it "an all-inclusive Jazz program" featuring "all styles of Jazz: Straight-Ahead, Smooth, Acid, Bop, Fusion, Funk, Soul, World." Listen in via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, or online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

* Meanwhile, down the dial at 90.7 FM, Dennis Owsley, host of KWMU's Jazz Unlimited at 9:00 p.m. on Sundays, this week will present the second part of his audio documentary on St. Louis jazz history, covering the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II.

Featured musicians and groups include Red McKenzie and the Mound City Blue Blowers, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Johnson and the St. Louis Crackerjacks, Hayes Pillars and the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra, George Hudson, Eddie Randle and the St. Louis Blue Devils, Shorty Baker, Clark Terry, Miles Davis’ trumpet teacher Elwood Buchanon, and Floyd Smith. Owsley also will reveal how Cab Calloway and Fats Waller were connected to St. Louis, the true story of the discovery of bassist Jimmy Blanton, and, as the saying goes, much more.

* The recently released Miles Davis album Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 2 was reviewed for Jazz Times magazine by Jim Miller.

* Speaking of reviews, the new Willie Akins/Montez Coleman disc The St. Louis Connection was the subject of a St. Louis Beacon article by Terry Perkins.

* Clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen was profiled by the Jewish Light's Marvin Glassman. Cohen and drummer Matt Wilson will play Thursday, April 18 at Jazz at the Bistro as part of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival.

* Meanwhile, the Funky Butt Brass Band got a profile of their own in the St. Louis University student newspaper, the U News.

* Gus Knobbe of Webster Groves High School is the first-place winner in the High School - Jazz category of the 2013 Creating Original Music Project competition, a statewide music contest conducted by the University of Missouri's Mizzou New Music Initiative. Knobbe wins a scholarship to a summer composition camp at Mizzou, and he and his school get cash prizes courtesy of the competition's sponsor, the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. Winners from the elementary, middle school and high school divisions all will perform their works in a concert next Saturday, April 20 in Columbia; you can listen in online here.

* And speaking of winners, drummer and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor (pictured) and one of his sponsors, Gator Cases, are conducting an online contest to give away some drum accessories. Winners will be selected in a random drawing next Friday, April 19, and the grand prize package includes a Gator GP-PC302 cymbal case, Artist Series stick bag, and a pair of Baylor's Signature Pro-Mark sticks.

* The Cabaret Project of St. Louis will host a trivia night at 7:00 p.m., Saturday , June 8 at the Jewish Community Center, with proceeds to benefit to benefit the upcoming 2013 St. Louis Cabaret Festival. The cost is $20 per person; to reserve a space, email info @ thecabaretproject.org or call 314-359-0786.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured) was profiled by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon in advance of their gig tonight at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Also in the Beacon, a look at how the re-opening of the Wildey Theatre has affected downtown Edwardsville.

* Over at the Post-Dispatch, Kevin Johnson notes the "official" opening of Troy's Jazz Gallery in an article that otherwise mostly rehashes information already covered months ago here at StLJN and last week in the Beacon.

* Legacy Recordings has announced that they'll re-release original mixes of Miles Davis' albums Round About Midnight, Milestones, and Someday My Prince Will Come on 180-gram vinyl for Record Store Day 2013 on Saturday, April 20.

* The St Louis Low Brass Collective has posted on YouTube some videos from last month's concert featuring trombonist Jim Pugh at Maryville University. You can see Pugh and an ensemble of local trombonists playing "Cogent Caprice" here, and Pugh, the trombonists, and a rhythm section performing "Sea Song" here.

* From publicist Dawn DeBlaze comes word that singer and pianist Alicia Cunningham of vocal duo The Cunninghams currently is battling cancer, and would welcome cards and letters from friends and fans. Alicia and her husband, multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native Don Cunningham, live in Las Vegas but have performed here several times in the past few years, most recently in September 2012 at the U City Jazz Festival. You can send mail to Don and Alicia Cunningham at 3740 S. Garden Drive, Las Vegas, NV, 89121 or contact them via email at thecunninghamsda @ hotmail.com.

* Lastly, just a reminder that if you haven't voted yet to elect St. Louis' own Clark Terry to Jazz at Lincoln Center's Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, you've got until March 31 to cast your ballot at http://jalc.org/2013-jazz-hall-of-fame-vote.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Euclid Records has put together a blog documenting everything that's going into the store's move next month to a new location on Gore Ave., about a mile west of their current home in Webster Groves.

* Saxquest has added to their Facebook page photo albums documenting recent visits from Tim Warfield and Adam Larson.

* Also on Facebook, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted an album of photos from last week's performance at First Unity Church of St. Louis.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake's big band has a new album called Wheels just out on his own Passin' Thru label. You can hear samples from the album (pictured) by clicking on the link.

* Troy's Jazz Gallery is the subject of a feature story by Terry Perkins published this week by the St. Louis Beacon, while, on a related note, saxophonist Tim Cunningham talked with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson about his new regular gig on Friday nights at the club.

* Keyboardist Mike Silverman of Bach to the Future has released on iTunes a sampler album of musicians with recordings on the band's Autumn Hill Records lable.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* NPR last Friday had a feature on a newly released, previously unheard live recording of Grant Green (pictured) made here in the guitarist's home town of St. Louis.

* Tonight's performance by the electronic music duo Caboladies, presented by New Music Circle at the White Flag Projects gallery, is previewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon. Meanwhile, NMC's program coordinator Jeremy Kannapell was interviewed about the organization's plans for the remainder of the 2012-13 season by the Riverfront Times' Josh Levi.

* Metrobones have posted to their Facebook page an album of photos from the group's concert last Friday at The Pageant with the Webster Groves High School jazz bands and guest soloist, trombonist Michael Dease.

* Bassist Reid Anderson of The Bad Plus, who are playing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro, submitted to a Q&A with the Riverfront Times' Jessica Lussenhop that, alas, ends up mostly rehashing old info about the trio while ignoring their most recent work. On the other hand, for some Bad Plus-related content that at least has the virtue of being current, there's this review of one of their sets Wednesday night at the Bistro by KDHX's Wil Wander.

* The St. Louis Low Brass Collective's board secretary and bass trombonist Andy Schiefelbein talked with the Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Miller for a brief article about the LBC's annual performance next Tuesday at the Sheldon

* The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra sends word that their director Bob Boedges has been named to the Missouri Music Educators Association Hall of Fame. Boedges will be inducted in a ceremony during MMEA's annual conference later this month held at Tan-Tar-A Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks.

* Lastly, congratulations to pianist Carolbeth True, who's being honored as Citizen of the Year for 2013 by the city of Rock Hill.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Music for Lifelong Achievement's recently concluded musical instrument drive was the subject of a feature story this week on local Fox affiliate KTVI.

* The new cabaret ensemble Women Under the Influence is profiled by the St. Louis Beacon's Terry Perkins. The group will make their performing debut Saturday night in a sold-out gig at Joe Buck's restaurant downtown.

* And speaking of cabaret, Post-Dispatch theater critic Judith Newmark reports that producer/director Tim Schall is convening a town hall meeting of "stakeholders" in the local cabaret scene at 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, November 17 at the Regional Arts Commission building, 6128 Delmar Boulevard.

* Jazz on Broadway has posted to their Facebook page photo albums of recent performance by funk/fusion band Soul Cafe and singer Joe Mancuso.

* Jazz Times has put online an excerpt from the new autobiography by saxophonist Dave Liebman, in which Liebman talks about his experiences joining Miles Davis' band in the early 1970s.

* Also at Jazz Times, they've collected online several videos of saxophonist David Sanborn (pictured) talking about how he selected the tunes and assembled his new retrospective CD set Then Again.

* The blog Destination: Out this week featured a vintage downloadable track from St. Louis' Human Arts Ensemble.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The organizers of last weekend's Nevermore Jazz Ball have posted a YouTube playlist compiling video highlights from the four-day event. Also, the Post-Dispatch/STLtoday has posted online a set of pictures from the NJB's Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl.

* Saxquest has posted on Facebook photos from last Saturday's appearance at the shop by trumpeter Terell Stafford and Sunday's performance and workshop featuring the Oasis Saxophone Quartet.

* Guitarist William Lenihan was profiled by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon.

* The annual musical instrument drive conducted by the not-for-profit organization Music for Lifelong Achievement wrapped up this week, and this year's efforts yielded a record number of donated instruments. More than 100 used instruments were collected, which will be repaired and refurbished as needed and donated to local schools and music programs. Although the drive only happens once a year, MFLA accepts donations of instruments and cash any time. For more information or to make a donation, call The Sheldon at 314-533-9900 or visit the website.

* The UK newspaper the Guardian this week has republished a lengthy 1985 interview with Miles Davis (pictured).

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist and St. Louis native Tom McDermott, who now lives in New Orleans, turned up again in last Sunday's episode of the HBO series Treme, which is set in the Crescent City. McDermott and Connie Jones were shown performing the pianist's composition “Kermit’s Rag” at The Columns hotel. You can read a brief interview about the show that McDermott (pictured) did recently with NOLA.com here.

* Meanwhile, New Orleans native Wynton Marsalis was in St. Louis last week, leading the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in a performance of his composition "Swing Symphony" with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. While Marsalis and JaLCO were in town, they also spent some time teaching and playing with the East St. Louis High School Jazz Band. You can read more about that in Terry Perkins' article for the St. Louis Beacon, found here, and see some photos in an album posted on the SLSO's Facebook page.

* Jazz St. Louis will begin their first educational residency of the 2012-13 season next Monday, October 29 with a week-long return visit from well-known jazz educator Dr. Gene Aitken. A former winner of DownBeat Magazine’s Jazz Educator of the Year and a member of the International Jazz Educators Hall of Fame, Aitken will work with Jazz St. Louis’ JazzU ensembles, and conduct a series of lectures, workshops, and clinics at area schools including Ladue High School, Riverview Gardens High School, Seckman High School, Parkway South High School, Bishop DuBourg High School, and Webster Groves High School, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Webster University.

* And speaking of Jazz St. Louis, they've posted to their Facebook page an album of photos from last week's performances by yet another New Orleanian, trumpeter Christian Scott, at Jazz at the Bistro. Nextbop.com also just published an article on Scott's new quintet lineup here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* DownBeat magazine put online this week a new article by Terry Perkins about trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured) and his upcoming project for Opera Theatre St. Louis.  For a slightly more localized take on the subject, also check out Perkins' article for the St. Louis Beacon that went online today.

* Hip 96.3 has posted on their Facebook page an album of photos from last Saturday's U City Jazz Festival. 

* Guitarist John Scofield talked with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson about this weekend's shows at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Legendary trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry has won this year's Satchmo Award from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. The award "was created as a tribute to the life and legacy of Louis Armstrong and his passion for jazz and excellence matched only by his joyous love of life and children,” and is accompanied by a check for $5,000.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake celebrated his 70th birthday last weekend with a series of shows at the Jazz Standard, and you can see a photo set from the festivities here. 

* The St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts are getting ready for another series of "Business Edge" workshops for individual artists, this time covering subjects including "Career Planning for Artists" (Monday, October 8); "Using Time Wisely" (Monday, October 15), and "Marketing & Professional Presentation" (Monday, November 5). The workshops will be held at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar; the cost for each session is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. For more details or to sign up, visit VLAA's website.

VLAA also is teaming up with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri to co-sponsor a series of free workshops for those contemplating starting a not-for-profit organization. The five-part series begins at 12:30 p.m. next Wednesday, October 3 at the St. Louis Public Library's Schlafly branch. Call 314-539-0357 for details.

* Music for Lifelong Achievement kicks off their annual musical instrument drive next Monday, October 1. MFLA is a not-for-profit organization based at the Sheldon Concert Hall that donates used and new musical instruments to school and community music programs serving disadvantaged young people. Local Starbucks stores will serve as collection points for the drive. For more information or to make a donation, call The Sheldon at 314-533-9900 or visit www.supportmfla.org.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Today is saxophonist Oliver Lake's 70th birthday, and Lake (pictured) is celebrating with a weekend of shows at NYC's Jazz Standard.

* Drummer Montez Coleman was profiled for the St. Louis Beacon by Terry Perkins.

* Saxquest has posted on their Facebook page a photo album from Sunday's performance and clinic by Bob Sheppard.

* And speaking of photo sets and Facebook, the St. Louis Big Band has posted some pictures from their gig last Saturday at Chesterfield Amphitheater.

* Are drummer Dave Weckl and keyboardist Jay Oliver, who first collaborated as up-and-coming musicians here in their hometown of St. Louis, getting ready for a new project together? Weckl this week teased the possibility by posting this photo to his Facebook page.

* Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport was interviewed last week by News Orleans' WWNO radio. Davenport will be back in St. Louis at least twice during the 2012-13 presenting season - at Jazz at the Bistro for Thanksgiving weekend, and again in February at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* While he was in town earlier this week to play two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, bassist Marcus Miller also stopped by the studios of local Fox affiliate KTVI for a short interview.

* And speaking of the Bistro, a recent article from the St. Louis Examiner on the website of CBS Radio affiliate KMOX named the club as one of the "Top Places for Rekindling Romance in St. Louis."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Organizers of the Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival remind us that there's still time for musicians and singers to enter their "Webster's Got Talent" contest and compete for a chance to perform at this year's OWJBF on Saturday, September 15. You can get more information and download the application here. Entries must be submitted by Tuesday, August 14.

* A new episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz premiered last night, featuring spouses and former St. Louisans Reggie and Mardra Thomas. Recorded during the Thomases' recent homecoming gig at Jazz at the Bistro, the episode will air periodically until October on local cable and satellite systems - check your program guide for details - or you can watch online at HEC's website.

* Saxophonist Willie Akins this week was the subject of a feature story written by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon.

* Musicians, artists and other creative types looking for a place to live and work have a new option in the Metropolitan Artists Lofts, located at 500 N. Grand (at Olive) in the Grand Center district. (That's across the street from the Fox Theatre, and just down the block from Powell Symphony Hall and the Bistro at Grand Center.)

The newly redeveloped building has features aimed specifically at artists, including music and media spaces and studios for pottery and dance, as well a fitness center and other more conventional amenities. One bedroom spaces begin at $654 per month, two bedrooms at $802. For more information, visit the website or call 314-535-2110.

* Lindy Hop St. Louis has announced a new monthly swing dance, West End Stomp!, to be held on the first Friday of every month at the Mahler Ballroom in the Central West End. The event will feature live music and free swing dance lessons for beginners, starting September 7.

* DownBeat magazine's 77th Annual Readers Poll is underway, and the deadline to cast a ballot is midnight on Tuesday. August 21. You can vote for your favorite jazz and blues artists of 2012 online here. Results of the Readers Poll will be reported in the December issue.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* New Music Circle yesterday announced that composer and multi-media artist Tony Conrad (pictured) will present a free lecture at 4:00 p.m. today (Friday, December 2) in Room 102 of the Music Classroom Building (behind Tietjens Hall on Forsyth) at Washington University. The event is free and open to the public.

Conrad will perform in concert Saturday night at White Flag Projects. For more about him, see this short article from the Riverfront Times' Ryan Wasoba and StLJN's video showcase post from last Saturday.

* Pianist Ramsey Lewis, in town through Saturday to play at Jazz at the Bistro, talked with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson for a short article here. Lewis also is scheduled to be interviewed at 11:00 a.m. this morning on public radio station KWMU's "Cityscape" program. You can listen to KWMU's online stream here.

* Gwen Terry, wife of Clark Terry, has posted a new update about the hospitalized trumpeter's condition here. Also posted now on Terry's website is a review (.pdf) by Down Beat's Ted Panken of Terry's recently published autobiography.

* The Meramec Jazz Lab Band has posted photos of their concert Wednesday night at the Black Cat Theatre in a Facebook album here. (You don't need a Facebook account to view the photos.)

* Writing for the St. Louis Beacon, Terry Perkins tells us about Strings Attached, a new not-for-profit organization that provides low-cost music education for aspiring guitarists ages 5 to 17, and even "offers loaner guitars to those young people who can’t afford them."

* Hip-hop star Nelly this week celebrated the opening of his Ex'treme Institute, a music production and recording school located on Laclede's Landing and operated in conjunction with local trade school Vatterott College. The St. Louis American has brief coverage here, and the Post-Dispatch has an article from Kevin Johnson and a photo album from the grand opening ceremonies.

* Music for Lifelong Achievement this week announced that their annual instrument drive collected a record number of musical instruments this year. More than 50 used instruments were dropped off at participating area Starbucks stores during the month-long drive, including a full drum set, several flutes, keyboards, clarinets and trumpets. The instruments will be repaired and refurbished, as needed, and donated to local schools and music programs.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person has succeeded in funding his next recording project through Kickstarter, an effort that we reported on here last week. The now-greenlighted CD Thoughts on God, which will feature a 13-piece ensemble playing Person's original music, attracted 160 backers who pledged $20,812 by Tuesday's deadline, slightly more than Person's goal of $20,580. The anticipated release date for the CD is July 2012.

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 estate has responded to the story aired earlier this week on local NBC affiliate KSDK (and linked here) about the deteriorating condition of the trumpeter's childhood home in East St. Louis, stating that "The Miles Davis family spends thousands of dollars yearly to maintain the property which suffers from repeated vandalism." Read the whole statement here.

* Take 6, who are in town at Jazz at the Bistro through tomorrow night, have posted to their Facebook page a photo album of shots from Wednesday's opening night performance, and another with pictures from their appearance at Ladue High School.

* The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson interviewed Peter Martin about Martin's duo piano concert with David Torkanowsky tonight at the Sheldon.

* If you've already read my preview story on the RFT's music blog about tomorrow's U City Jazz Festival and are hungering for more, there's additional advance coverage from the St. Louis Beacon's Terry Perkins, the P-D's Kevin Johnson, and local CW affiliate KPLR.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* In advance of their gig this Wednesday through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro, Joey Kibble of the vocal group Take 6 (pictured) did an interview with Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch.

* Singer Jeanne Trevor last week talked about her career and this weekend's U City Jazz Festival with DJ Jason Church of Smooth Jazz 96.3 HD-3, but you need to be on Facebook to hear it.

* Pianist Peter Martin, who will play a duo concert with pianist David Torkanowsky on Friday at the Sheldon, was the subject of a brief profile by the P-D's Deb Peterson.

* The new Miles Davis set of formerly bootleg live recordings from 1967 is reviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon.

* Meanwhile, KSDK reports that neighbors in East St. Louis are concerned about the condition of Davis' childhood home, which has been vandalized and stripped of copper and other metals.

* Lastly, former P-D theater reviewer and restaurant critic Joe Pollack reports for St. Louis magazine on the London funeral of Fran Landesman, poet, writer and former co-owner of the Crystal Palace nightclub in St. Louis' Gaslight Square.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Don Cunningham of The Cunninghams (pictured) talked about their show tonight at the Sheldon Concert Hall to Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch, and you can read that article online here.

* Trumpet legend and St. Louis native Clark Terry shared some thoughts on mentoring younger musicians with JazzEd magazine.

* Last week's unveiling of the statue of Chuck Berry in University City was covered by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon.

* The Miles Davis estate and Sony records are looking for input from fans on the next re-release package of the trumpeter's music.

* STLtoday.com has started aggregating content from local blogs on several section-header pages, and StLJN now is included on the music page's list of blogs. (Scroll down the page to see the feeds.) Thanks to Bob Rose of STLtoday/the Post-Dispatch and whoever else was responsible for the add.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* This week's St. Louis American has an obituary for singer Mae Wheeler, penned by staff writer Kenya Vaughn.

* The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson has a very short preview story on Monday night's performance by the Monterey County HS All Star Band at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Speaking of student jazz bands, the one from Belleville West High School just got back from a trip to Germany, as chronicled here by the Suburban Journals' Jim Merkel.

* Changes may be coming to the streetscape of the Grand Center district, which includes Jazz at the Bistro, the Sheldon Concert Hall, the Fox Theatre and other venues for musical performances. The Post-Dispatch's Marlon Walker wrote about the public meeting to discuss the plan here.

* Terry Perkins profiled the eclectic roots music band Sins of the Pioneers for the St. Louis Beacon.

* StLJN got a shout-out last week from The Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson in a post on his blog Do The Math that mentioned various blogs devoted to local jazz scenes around the US. Thanks, Ethan!

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Jazz Crusaders concert presented by Jazz St. Louis last Saturday at the Touhill Performing Arts Center was reviewed by Calvin Wilson for the Post-Dispatch.

* And speaking of Jazz St. Louis, they're looking for a Membership and Special Events Manager. If you're interested in applying for the job, click the link or email director of development Melissa Jones at melissa @ jazzstl.org.

* Terry Perkins is doing another series for the St. Louis Beacon of weekly profiles of bands playing various local outdoor concert series this summer; this week's article is about the Funky Butt Brass Band.

* Music for Lifelong Achievement (MFLA) has wrapped up an instrument drive for Horns to Havana, during which they collected seventeen instruments, including a trumpet, saxophone, keyboard, three guitars, three trombones, four flutes and four clarinets. MFLA was the first organization in the US to partner on this project with Horns to Havana, a non-profit organization based at The Center For Cuban Studies in New York City. The current goal is provide a full set of jazz band instruments to each of four Cuban schools.

* Filmmakers Alan Hicks and Adam Hart are using Kickstarter to raise money for Keep On Keepin' On, a proposed documentary that "follows the lives of 3 up-and-coming musicians, linked by their close association with one of the last living Jazz Legends, the great Clark Terry."

The film is already well along, with lots of footage shot of all four subjects, and now the makers are trying to come up with $35,000 by Monday, August 8. As of this writing on Friday, June 17, they have 94 "Backers" and $18,636 pledged toward their $35,000 goal, with 51 days to go. (If you're unfamiliar with the Kickstarter concept, see this.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Looking at more news coverage of the closing of Brandt's, it appears that the commenters at the Riverfront Times' Gut Check blog and at the University City edition of community news site Patch.com agree that the venue's biggest problems were poor food and service, not rising crime in the Delmar Loop neighborhood.

* Terry Perkins wrote a piece for this week's St. Louis American about the news conference announcing the upcoming Miles Davis Festival.

* The southside music venue 2720 Cherokee (pictured) has made some adjustments to their format, and now will present two or more performances or events simultaneously on different floors of the building. The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson has more here.

* A new episode of Don Wolff's TV program I Love Jazz is set to air starting next Thursday, June 16 on cable station HEC-TV. The episode features performance footage of the Bosman Twins live at Jazz at the Bistro, as well as coverage of the Nu-Art Series' recent presentation of "SoundArt," featuring poet and author Quincy Troupe, saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett and guitarist Kelvyn Bell.