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:

* 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

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:

* The Sheldon this week announced that their annual fund-raising gala will take place online on Saturday, April 10. The event will be hosted by Chris Thile, the singer, mandolinist and former presenter of public radio's "Live From Here," and will include performances from Wynton Marsalis, John Pizzarelli, Dianne Reeves and Peter Martin, and more. For more information or to register, visit The Sheldon's website.

* Woodwind players and St. Louis natives J.D. Parran (pictured) and Marty Ehrlich are among the musicians featured in composer Joseph Daley's new commissioned work “Colorations-Explorations,” which debuted this week on video with Parran directing an ensemble featuring 18 clarinets of various ranges (including Ehrlich), percussionist Warren Smith, and a rhythm section.

* The Cabaret Project of St. Louis has posted a trailer for their upcoming online show featuring pianist and singer Billy Stritch performing music associated with Mel Torme. The concert will stream on Saturday, January 23 and Saturday, January 30, with advance reservations now available online.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby recently released an album called Reflections of the Eternal Line as part of an unusual trio with Swiss drummer ⁦Florian Arbenz⁩ and painter Stephan Spicher, and you can read the story behind the recording as recounted by Arbenz in a post on the website JazzItOut.com.

* St. Louis Public Radio's "St. Louis On The Air" on Thursday broadcast the story of “I’m Dreaming of No One But You,” written in 1942 by Leona Augustine of Washington MO and re-discovered by her grandson Jacob Luecke, who's releasing a brand new big-band recording of the song.

* In the latest developments in the recent story about trumpeter Keyon Harrold and his teenage son, Miya Ponsetto, the woman now facing assault charges after falsely accusing Harrold Jr. of theft, took part in a contentious and controversial interview with TV presenter Gayle King of CBS This Morhing, while the elder Harrold has called for a boycott of Arlo Hotels, which operates the NYC hotel where the incident took place.

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:

* Drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl announced this week on social media that he will present a free live online drum lesson at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time tomorrow, Saturday, November 7.

Weckl (pictured) will "review hand technique, take your questions, and do some giveaways" via a livestream on his YouTube channel and Facebook page.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley was the guest on last Friday's episode of KTRS radio's "In The Know with Ray Hartmann."

* Bryan Dematteis, director of the documentary The Black Artists Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement that is screening online this month as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

* In related news, Dematteis also recorded a brief video interview about his film with the Post-Dispatch's Ben Simon.

* Singer (and physician) Ken Haller's return performance last week at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

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:

* The Red and Black Brass Band (pictured) was featured Wednesday night on a segment of the PBS NewsHour, produced by the local PBS affiliate Nine Network.

* Drummer Emmanuel Harrold was the guest on this past Tuesday's episode of the Mike Dolbear drum podcast.

* "The Enduring Cultural Legacy of Miles Davis" was the subject of an online discussion that took place this past Monday with participants including multi-instrumentalist and producer Marcus Miller, Davis' nephew Vince Wilburn Jr. and his son Erin Davis, and producers of the recent documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool. You can see the entire program archived on YouTube.

* Also on the Miles Davis beat, the trumpeter's historic performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Music Festival is the subject of an article in the UK magazine Jazzwise.

* Drummer Dave Weckl will teach another master class online via Zoom on Saturday, September 12. Get more information and sign up to reserve one of the 15 spots in the class at http://thegroovemasters.com/.

* As music venues in St. Louis (and everywhere) try to figure out how and when to reopen, stories this past week from St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin and KMOV's Alexis Zotos examined some of the issues involved and potential solutions.

* Meanwhile, in a related story, a number of local venues on Tuesday night lit up their exteriors with red lights, hoping to draw attention to the Restart Act, a bill being considered by Congress that would provide financial help to the music and performing arts industries. The campaign to pass the bill has been branded on social media with the hashtag "#SaveOurStages," and you can read more about it and the Restart Act here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has released the fourth episode of his web series "Sanborn Sessions," with saxophonist and keyboard player Terrace Martin as the featured guest.

You can see Sanborn and Martin (pictured) in this latest episode via the embed at the bottom of this post, or visit the "Sanborn Sessions" YouTube page to catch the entire series to date.

* Pianist Peter Martin and multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo were among the performers interviewed for a St. Louis Public Radio story about how local musicians are coping with the COVID-19 shutdown.

* And speaking of Peter Martin, the pianist took questions from fans, friends, music students, and miscellaneous onlookers in a Reddit-style "Ask Me Anything" video recorded this past Tuesday.

* Drummer Dave Weckl now is offering private drum lessons for a limited number of students online via Zoom.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Jazz Journalists Association has named Gene Dobbs Bradford of Jazz St. Louis (pictured) as one of 27 local "Jazz Heroes" for 2020. The awards are given annually to "activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz" in different cities across the USA.

* Keyboardist Mo Egeston was the featured guest on last Friday's episode of "St. Louis In The Know" with Ray Hartmann on KTRS.

* St. Louis Public Radio reporter Chad Davis has the scoop on the Red and Black Brass Band, the impromptu ensemble who have been playing music during the shutdown while walking the streets of the Tower Grove neighborhood in south St. Louis. The band members also were interviewed by KMOX's Debbie Monterrey.  

* Also on St. Louis Public Radio, Christian Frommelt, dance teacher and co-organizer of the Nevermore Jazz Ball, was the subject of a feature story about how local swing dancers are still pursuing their hobby during the COVID-19 shutdown.

* As many cultural organizations dig into their vaults for video and audio material to share during the shutdown, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis has posted to YouTube a full concert performance "The Music of Miles Davis," recorded in November 2018 at the Rose Theater inside Lincoln Center in NYC.

* Also on the Miles Davis beat, LiveForLiveMusic.com has an article looking back at the night 50 years ago when Davis shared a bill with the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Etienne Charles of the SFJAZZ Collective talked with the Post-Dispatch's Daniel Durchholz about the group's latest project, a re-imagining of music by Miles Davis and Sly Stone.

The Collective was scheduled to perform here in St. Louis tomorrow night at The Sheldon, but they've cancelled that show and the remainder of their spring tour due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

* Guitarist Dave Black was the subject of a short feature story in St. Louis magazine.

* This weekend's Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival at Mineral Area College, featuring trombonist Michael Dease (pictured), was previewed in a feature story in the Park Hills Daily Journal.

* Jazz St. Louis has published on their website a Q&A with keyboardist Dave Grelle. Grelle's band Playadors performs at the venue tonight and tomorrow night.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLToday.com went into their archives to republish photos from when W.C. Handy, composer of "St. Louis Blues," came back to St. Louis for a visit in 1932.

* The venue formerly known as The Stage at KDHX will get a makeover and a new name, Bennie's Blues Room, as it becomes the new headquarters for the St. Louis Blues Society. Focusing on the history of St. Louis blues, the venue (named in honor of the late guitarist and singer Bennie Smith) will present live music, educational events, and more, as detailed in a story by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* The Regional Arts Commission this week unveiled a five-year plan that would have them working more closely with local arts groups to set priorities and foster collaborations as well as providing funding. For details, see this story by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The second episode of saxophonist David Sanborn's new online video series "Sanborn Sessions" went "live" this week on YouTube and elsewhere.

The episode is an all-St. Louis affair with singers Michael McDonald and Brian Owens (pictured, with Sanborn) as the featured guests, and you can see it in the video embed at the bottom of this post.

* Bryan Cather, a ragtime historian and president of the Friends of Scott Joplin, has died. He was 53 years old, and was found Sunday by friends at his south St. Louis home after he apparently suffered a heart attack.

Cather came to St. Louis in 2004 from Arlington, TX, and subsequently played a major role as a volunteer with the Friends and the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, as detailed in this obituary in Syncopated Times. Funeral arrangements are pending, but the article says that "a memorial service is likely to be held at Bryan’s John’s Episcopal Church in the Tower Grove Neighborhood of St. Louis and his cremains will be interred in Oklahoma."

* Treasure Shields Redmond, daughter of East St. Louis Poet Laureate Eugene Redmond, was a guest Thursday on St. Louis Public Radio's "St. Louis On The Air" to talk about the "Historic Jazz & Poetry Excursion" tour of East St. Louis, in which trumpeter Miles Davis and his now-restored childhood home play a major role.

* Also on the Davis beat, the recent biographical documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, directed by Stanley Nelson, has been nominated for a 2020 NAACP Image Award as "Outstanding Documentary (Film)."

* In a related story, Davis' son Erin and nephew Vincent Wilburn Jr. recently appeared on the program California Live on KNBC in Los Angeles to promote the film.

* And last but not least regarding Davis, a feature out this week from Jazzwise magazine looks at "How Miles Davis put together ‘the greatest rock ’n’ roll band you ever heard’."

* Pianist, singer and songwriter Rick Jensen's cabaret show last week at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* A story in the St. Louis American offers a brief preview of the "34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Statewide Celebration Kick-Off Program for Missouri," which takes place tomorrow night at Harris-Stowe State University and will include appearances by saxophonist Kirk Whalum and singer Denise Thimes.

* Bassist Sam AuBuchon, a senior at West County High School in Park Hills, MO and a member of the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars student ensemble, was the subject of a feature story in the St. Francois County Daily Journal.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Russell Gunn (pictured) has launched a crowd-funding campaign to pay for the next recording by his Royal Krunk Jazz Orchestra.

* Reid Anderson, bassist for The Bad Plus, was interviewed about the group's return to Jazz St. Louis next week by the Post-Dispatch's Daniel Durchholz.

* A new article in DownBeat recalls how the late trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry "fostered generations of performers."

* The closing last weekend of the south side venue Foam was the subject of stories by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy D. Goodwin and St. Louis magazine's John J. Goddard.

* Singer Katie McGrath's show last Saturday at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Funeral arrangements for the late pianist, singer and saxophonist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum have been announced. A wake and memorial jam session is scheduled from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. today at Archway Memorial Chapel, 111 Taylor Road in Hazelwood. A funeral Mass will take place at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, January 4, at St. Elizabeth Mother of John church, 4330 Shreve Ave in St. Louis, with a repast immediately following. Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 6 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Whalum's obituary as published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch can be seen here, and his passing also was noted in a story by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Radio host, author and photographer Dennis Owsley bade farewell to listeners of his "Jazz Unlimited" radio show with a message on Facebook (also published in abbreviated form on the St. Louis Public Radio website). In that message, he revealed that the program's Sunday night time slot will be filled, at least for the time being, by music from the nationally syndicated "Jazzworks" service (also heard on one of StLPR's digital sub-channels).

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Drummer and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor and his wife, singer Jean Baylor (pictured), have launched a campaign via IndieGoGo to crowd-fund the next album by their group The Baylor Project.

* Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX reviewed recent shows at Blue Strawberry by David Giuntoli and John McDaniel.

* In related stories, St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Fenske interviewed cabaret artists Beverly Brennan, Robert Brieg and Dionna Raedeke about upcoming shows at Blue Strawberry; and the venue also was the subject of a brief feature story from St. Louis magazine's Melissa Meinzer.

* Another item at St. Louis Public Radio's website notes the retirement of "Jazz Unlimited" host Dennis Owsley, mostly reiterating information already made public, but also adding the intriguing tidbit that "jazz music will continue on 90.7 KWMU-1 on Sunday nights from 9 to midnight" without any specifics. So, stay tuned...

* The Northsider has posted to Facebook a photo album from the Funky Butt Brass Band's early Saturday matinee of last weekend's "Holiday Brasstravaganza."

* With the southside venue Foam closing permanently this week, the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson took a look back at a decade of shows there.

* The Bosman Twins were interviewed by ChicagoJazz.com in advance of their gig this week at Winters Jazz Club.

* Trumpeter George C. Davis, one of the founders of the Jazz Edge Orchestra, has died.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Broadcaster, author and photographer Dennis Owsley will end his long-running St. Louis Public Radio program "Jazz Unlimited" with a final broadcast on Sunday, December 29.

Owsley, who moved with his wife to Arizona this fall to be closer to his grandchildren, had been sending in pre-recorded shows from there.  He said the decision to sign off after 36 years of broadcasting was entirely his own, with no pressure from station management. With the notable exception of the St. Louis Symphony's live broadcasts, "Jazz Unlimited" is one of the last music programs on the St. Louis Public Radio schedule, which increasingly has emphasized news and talk since the mid-2000s.) 

The author of two books on the history of jazz in St. Louis, Owsley (pictured) has won honors including several Riverfront Times "Best of St. Louis" awards for best jazz radio program and a "Jazz Hero" award in 2016 from the Jazz Journalists Association. The Post-Dispatch's Joe Holleman has more here.

* Drummer Nate Smith recently did a brief Q&A that was published on the Jazz St. Louis website. Smith and his band KINFOLK will perform through Sunday night at the Bistro.

* Smith also has recorded a solo performance for an episode of Gaslight Studios' web series "Gaslight Sessions," which was released online Monday.

* The Grand Center district in midtown will be the site of a new concert venue with a capacity of 1,200 that's scheduled to open in 2021. The club, to be called The Sovereign, will book national touring acts, local and regional bands in a variety of genres, as well as corporate events, private parties and weddings.

The venture is the product of a team-up between Tim Weber, managing partner of Old Rock House and former general manager and talent buyer at Mississippi Nights, and Steve Smith, the CEO of Lawrence Group, an architectural and development firm involved in a number of real estate projects in the neighborhood. The P-D's Kevin Johnson has more, including some quotes from Weber, here.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has posted to Facebook an album of photos from his recent shows at the Blue Note Tokyo.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The first episode of saxophonist David Sanborn's new web video series "Sanborn Sessions" went live online this week on Tuesday. You can see the episode, which features pianist and singer Kandace Springs, in the embedded video window up above or on YouTube.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts is co-sponsoring a workshop on "Understanding Taxes for Music Professionals" starting at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, December 7 at the offices of TechArtista, 4818 Washington Blvd in the Central West End. See details and registration information here.

* Singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* STLtoday also published a photo set from Olatuja's opening night performance on Wednesday at Jazz St. Louis. She continues there through Sunday evening.

* Composer and French horn player David Amram shared some Miles Davis anecdotes in a feature story published by PleaseKillMe.com.

* Singer Lisa St. Lou's show last week at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Before the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's performance this past Wednesday at Powell Hall, bandleader and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis was interviewed by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

* Also as reported in the Post-Dispatch, the south side venue Foam, which over the last ten years has hosted free improv performances among its eclectic variety of live music, will close permanently on Sunday, December 29.

Dennis Owsley to discuss, sign new book Thursday, July 18 at UMSL at Grand Center

Radio host, jazz historian and photographer Dennis Owsley will discuss and sign copies of his new book St. Louis Jazz: A History at an event at 7:00 p.m. this Thursday, July 18 at UMSL at Grand Center, 3651 Olive St.

At the event, Owsley will discuss the book (pictured), which recounts the history of jazz in St. Louis, with St. Louis Public Radio reporter Jeremy Goodwin.

A reception and book signing will follow, and copies of St. Louis Jazz: A History will be available for purchase from Left Bank Books.

Owsley, whose radio program "Jazz Unlimited" is broadcast weekly on Sunday nights by St. Louis Public Radio, previously authored another history of local jazz, City of Gabriels; The History of Jazz in St. Louis, 1895-1973, which came out in 2006.

In an email to StLJN, Owsley said that singer Jeanne Trevor and singer/percussionist Don Cunningham, both veterans of St. Louis' storied Gaslight Square era, plan to attend Thursday's event and will offer a brief acapella performances.

The event is free and open to the public, but because space is limited, online registration at St. Louis Public Radio's website is required.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The application period for the next cycle of artist fellowships and support grants from the Regional Arts Commission begins on Monday, July 15. To find out more about eligibility and get ready to apply, check out the info on RAC's website here.

* A report this week from St. Louis Public Radio's Beth Hundsdorfer describes continuing financial issues and allegations of mismanagement at community radio station KDHX.

* Trumpeter and St. Louis native Keyon Harrold (pictured) guest stars alongside the late singer Al Jarreau on one track of The Lost Tapes 2, the forthcoming album from the rapper Nas.

* Veteran pianist Denny Zeitlin has released Remembering Miles, a solo piano recording paying tribute to the music of Miles Davis.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist, clarinetist and former U Citian Marty Ehrlich (pictured) was the subject of an "Overdue Ovation" profile in Jazz Times.

* The world premiere production of trumpeter Terence Blanchard's opera Fire Shut Up In My Bones at Opera Theatre of St. Louis continues to generate press coverage, including preview stories from Bob Duffy in St. Louis magazine and St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin, and reviews from Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Paul Friswold of the Riverfront Times, Mark Bretz of Ladue News, and John von Rhein on the website Chicago Classical Review. The production continues in "rolling rep" at OTSL until the end of the month.

* Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True appeared Tuesday on the morning newscast from KTVI (Fox 2).

* The new Miles Davis set Complete Birth of the Cool was reviewed by Nate Chinen for Pitchfork.

* Jazz Journal reviewed the new reissue of Davis' Cup, a 1956 compilation of some of Davis' early recordings for the Prestige label, originally issued only in Europe.

* Twenty local arts organizations have won operating support grants for the next year from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, including Jazz St. Louis, the Sheldon Concert Hall, and the Radio Arts Foundation.