So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The new documentary The Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement is the subject of an article by Terry Perkins for DownBeat magazine.

* As the centennial of Clark Terry’s birth approaches - the trumpeter was born here in St. Louis on December 14, 1920 - IMDb's online video channel is streaming Keep On Keepin’ On, the 2014 documentary about Terry and his protege Justin Kauflin. The film can be seen for free (with registration) on IMDb's website and via the IMDB channel on Amazon Prime video.

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) were guests this week on Thursday's episode of the online talk show "OwnYourNow." (Their segment begins 34 minutes into the program and runs for about 15 minutes.)

* A recently completed mural honoring the late trumpeter Lester Bowie in his birthplace of Frederick, MD, was the subject of a feature story in the local paper, the Frederick News Post. (Bowie was born in Frederick, but grew up and began his music career in St. Louis)

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes the death a couple of weeks ago of pianist Herb Drury at age 92 with an unbylined obituary.

* Also from the Post, Dead Wax Records has moved to a new, larger location on the south side and is spinning off a sibling store called Weirdo Records, as reported by Kevin Johnson.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz at Lincoln Center has announced four new inductees into its Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, including a former St. Louisan.

That would be saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer (pictured) who, while born in Carbondale, IL, grew up in St. Louis and did his first professional work as a musician here. He's joined in the class of 2019 by saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, singer Dinah Washington, and drummer Chick Webb.

* The 2019 edition of Fair U City, the community carnival held during the first weekend in June in Heman Park alongside the U City Jazz Festival, has been cancelled due to a dispute over financial and other matters between city government and the University City Community Foundation, the not-for-profit group that organizes the fair.

Responding to the cancellation announcement in a Facebook post, U City Jazz Fest organizer Michael Silverman said he's now looking for an alternate location to stage the event on Saturday, June 8. Watch this space for more as this story develops...

* Jazz St. Louis will team up this fall with three other local arts organizations for a production of "Such Sweet Thunder," an "avant-garde ballet" created by French choreographer Maurice Béjart in 1960 using the music from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's 1957 suite of the same name.

JSL will supply the sounds, Big Muddy Dance Company will create the choreography, and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis will "weave the pieces together with Shakespearean scenes and sonnets." The fourth partner, Nine Network, will host three free performances of the work on October 3, 4 and 5 at its Public Media Commons.

* Singer Alicia Olatuja was interviewed about her new album Intiution on the podcast Doing Jazz with Lorens Chuno.

* St. Louis writer (and Jazz Journalists Association 2019 "Jazz Hero") Terry Perkins got a byline in the May issue of DownBeat with a feature story about singer Cyrille Aimée.

* House of Miles East St. Louis, the organization that has restored Miles Davis' childhood home as a museum and educational facility, was profiled for the website TheSTL.com by writer Daniel Durchholz.

* The final performance of the 2019 Vision Festival, set for June 9-16 at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY, will be a tribute to the late saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, led by his friend and collaborator, pianist D.D. Jackson, and featuring U City native and drummer Ronnie Burrage, saxophonists James Carter and Darius Jones, bassist William Parker, and percussionist Juma Sultan.

* The story of the legal battle between seemingly-defunct music festival LouFest and their former sound and lighting contractors Logic Systems has been updated by St. Louis writer and musician Kevin Mitchell in a post on Medium.com.

Terry Perkins wins 2019 "Jazz Hero" award from Jazz Journalists Association

The Jazz Journalists Association has named Terry Perkins of St. Louis as one of its local "Jazz Heroes" for 2019.

In the announcement of this year's awards, the JJA defines "Jazz Heroes" as "advocates, altruists, activists, aiders and abettors of jazz who have had significant impact in their local communities.” There are 22 individuals in this year's group of award winners, chosen from 20 cities across the USA.

Perkins (pictured) was born in North Carolina and grew up as a “military brat” at Air Force bases around the country. Moving to St. Louis in the 1970s, he worked as a manager for Streetside Records and eventually began to write freelance articles on music.

As a music journalist, he has written about jazz and other genres for local publications including the Riverfront Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Beacon, St. Louis American, St. Louis magazine and Alive magazine, as well for as national and international outlets such as DownBeat, Jazz Times, RollingStone.com and the Oxford American.

Perkins also served for several years as creative director for the Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival, and as coordinator for Music For Lifelong Achievement, a not-for-profit group based at the Sheldon Concert Hall that collects donated musical instruments for disadvantaged young people in the St. Louis area.

In addition, Perkins worked with JJA to get St. Louis included in the Jazz Hero awards program, and presented the awards to the first four local winners, including the late Don Wolff in 2015, Dennis Owsley in 2016, the late Richard Henderson in 2017, and Jim Widner in 2018.

Terry Perkins will get his own “Jazz Hero” award in a ceremony on Wednesday, April 17 at Jazz St. Louis, held before the 7:00 p.m. "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" presentation by author Ricky Riccardi on the music of Louis Armstrong's Hot 5 and Hot 7. The event is free and open to the public.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* One of singer of singer Cyrille Aimée's performances last week at Jazz at the Bistro was reviewed for DownBeat magazine by St. Louis writer Terry Perkins.

* Writing for the Post-Dispatch a couple of days later, Perkins then covered singer Gregory Porter's show on Saturday at the Touhill, an event also reviewed by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Saxophonist Jim Stevens (pictured) announced this week via Facebook that he, drummer James Jackson and bassist John King will go to Jakarta, Indonesia the first week of March to perform with guitarist Larry Coryell and keyboardist and former St. Louisan David Garfield at the Java Jazz Festival.

Described as "one of the largest jazz festivals in the world and arguably the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere," the event also will feature performances this year from Chris Botti with Sting, the jazz-fusion band Yellowjackets, singers Patti Austin and Kurt Elling, saxophonist Candy Dulfer, and more.

* Multi-instrumentalist Adam Maness of The 442s (and several other bands) has joined pianist Peter Martin's company Open Studio Network as "creative content manager." The firm produces and sells online video music lessons featuring Martin, drummer Gregory Hutchinson, guitarist Romero Lubambo, and others.

* In an interview with San Francisco Classical Voice, trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard talked about developing and premiering his opera Champion in St Louis with support from Opera Theatre St. Louis and Jazz St. Louis. A new production of Champion being mounted this month by SFJAZZ and Opera Parallèle features a revised orchestration for fewer musicians.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts will present a workshop on crowdfunding for artists at 7:00 p.m. this coming Monday, February 15 at the Regional Arts Commission. Attendees will hear from the author of a book on crowdfunding, a panel of artists who have used crowdfunding, and an attorney who will talk about related legal issues. Admission is $10 in advance; $15 at the door.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The 50th anniversary of famed sound engineer and designer Bob Heil's company (based in Fairview Heights, IL) is the subject of an article by St. Louis freelance writer and musician Kevin Mitchell for the music trade website Front of House Online.

* Speaking of freelance writers, St. Louis' own Terry Perkins has two articles in the current (February 2016) issue of DownBeat magazine: a feature story on trumpeter Randy Brecker, and a short history of Murry's, a club in Columbia, MO that's listed in the same issue as one of "193 Great Jazz Venues" worldwide.

Also making the jazz venue list from Missouri were Jazz St. Louis' Ferring Jazz Bistro, aka Jazz at the Bistro, and the Blue Room in Kansas City. While neither of Perkins' articles currently is among the limited content offered by DownBeat for free online, the mag would, of course, be happy to sell you a copy or an annual subscription to either the print or digital version. (Or you can look for a print copy at a bookstore or newsstand, if you can find one of those.)

* And speaking of Jazz St. Louis, the organization's executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford was interviewed on video by the website OnStL.

* According to an article by Joe Holleman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com, downtown's Thaxton Speakeasy (pictured), which features live vintage jazz and swing most Thursday evenings, is being sued by ASCAP for non-payment of performance rights fees.

* Free-improvising pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn was interviewed briefly for a preview, published on the KDHX website, of her New Music Circle concert tonight with drummer Frank Rosaly.

* Also on the KDHX website, the St. Louis Banjo Club is the subject of a feature article by volunteer Bill Motchan.

* Two St. Louis natives, trumpeter Keyon Harrold and keyboardist Shedrick Mitchell, were among the musicians pictured in a New York Times photo feature about the recently concluded Winter Jazzfest.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn is set to be a guest performer on the upcoming album from Chicago saxophonist Frank Catalano and ex-Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain.

* Collinsville native Angela Sapolis' cabaret show on January 28 at the Monocle was previewed in a story in the Belleville News Democrat.

* Keyboardist and impresario Michael Silverman was featured on the blog of digital sheet music vendor Musica Neo.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Multi-instrumentalist Dwayne Bosman of the Bosman Twins (pictured) is one of ten recipients of a Regional Arts Commission Artist Fellowship for 2015.

Each of the ten selected artists receives $20,000, which is intended to "allow for the advancement of the individual artist’s creative journey to include time and space to study, reflect, experiment, explore and create."

* The late Don Wolff was remembered and memorialized by local media outlets including St. Louis Public Radio, St. Louis magazine, KMOV-TV, and HEC-TV.

* Euclid Records was featured in a recent "In Your Neighborhood" segment on KTVI/Fox 2 News.

* Just in time for his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro, here's a a fairly lengthy new interview with trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport, via HollywoodSoapbox.com.

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap was featured by the Post-Dispatch in an "#STLStreetStyle" video.

* Bassist Stanley Clarke's concert last Saturday at the Touhill Performing Arts Center was reviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Singer/songwriter Susan Werner's show last weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Groove Jazz, a new streaming jazz radio station based in St. Louis, is now online and available to hear for free at www.theroots.fm and via free apps available in the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Described in a news release as "primarily a Contemporary Jazz station, featuring artists like Boney James, Paul Hardcastle, Cindy Bradley, George Benson and David Benoit," the station's playlist also will feature "Straight-Ahead Jazz, World Music, Fusion, Funk and other styles." Weekday hosts are Jason Church, Kristi Carson, Eddie Becton, and Darrel Eason, while the weekend voices include Kris Kelly, Bill Poole, Robin Boyce and C.J. Ellis.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Following up on a story from last week, artist Ray Harvey has completed his mural of the late trumpeter Clark Terry on a building in the Carondelet neighborhood, and St. Louis magazine has a photo of the finished work and an interview with Harvey.

* On a related note, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, directed by trumpeter Byron Stripling, last week debuted a newly commissioned big band suite paying tribute to Terry. You can read a review of the performance here.

* A story in Wednesday's Alton Telegraph detailed the financial woes of radio station WSIE. With the state of Illinois poised to withdraw all support by 2018, the article says the station will need to replace approximately $140,000, or 80 percent, of its annual budget with additional sponsorships, underwriting, and listener support.

WSIE currently is conducting an IndieGoGo campaign with a goal of collecting $10,000. With 30 days to go, they've raised $1,155 from 21 backers.

* With the hull of what's left of the Goldenrod Showboat destroyed this past summer in a low-water mishap, an article in the St. Louis Business Journal says that preservationists now hope to salvage the Goldernrod's theater and various other artifacts for possible display in a museum setting.

* Drummer Mark Colenburg has been tapped to present a master class, "Connecting Generations," as part of the Percussive Arts Society's 2015 convention, which takes place Wednesday, November 11 through Saturday, November 14 in San Antonio, TX.

* One of guitarist Kevin Eubanks' performances last week at Jazz at the Bistro was reviewed for the Post-Dispatch by Terry Perkins.

* While Eubanks was in town, the former Tonight Show bandleader made several appearances on local broadcast media, including one on NBC affiliate KSDK and one on ESPN Radio affiliate 101Sports.

* Speaking of reviews, KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi has posted one of Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen's show last Sunday for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival.

* And speaking of KDHX, they've also posted to Facebook two photo sets of interest, one from Banu Gibson's performance last Sunday at the Sheldon and one from last weekend's St. Louis Gypsy Jazz Festival.

* Saxquest is introducing their own line of saxophone mouthpieces, and they're taking pre-orders now for the first two models, called "The Core" and "The Bridge".

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake has posted to YouTube some video footage from the Krakow show of his recent European tour with the Generations Quartet.

* Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport was one of a number of musicians taking part last week in a tribute to 100 years of the legacy of Frank Sinatra at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. Davenport (pictured) will be back in St. Louis next month for his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The deadline for student musicians to apply to Jazz St. Louis’ JazzU program for the 2015-16 school year is coming up next week on Friday, May 1.

Auditions for JazzU, which offers weekly jazz instruction to middle school and high school students in a small-combo setting, will take place Monday, June 1 through Thursday, June 4. For more information or to submit an application, call 314-881-3093 or visit the website.

* Coincidentally, JazzU and its current crop of student players also are featured in an article in the May issue of DownBeat, penned by St. Louis freelance writer Terry Perkins. The issue (pictured) also contains a nice tribute to the late Clark Terry, written by longtime DB contributor John McDonough.

* Speaking of Clark Terry, now that Keep On Keepin' On has been released on Netflix, the documentary film about the St. Louis-born trumpeter got a recommendation from London Jazz News.

* Pianist Herbie Hancock and filmmaker Ken Burns, whose PBS series Jazz is still the most extensive history of the music to air on TV in the US, are two of the five people receiving honorary degrees from Washington University this year. The commencement ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m., Friday May 15 in Brookings Quadrangle on the main Wash U campus.

* Drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl's Acoustic Band begins a European tour this week, with dates scheduled in Norway, Greece, the UK, Italy, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France and Sweden.

* Last Saturday's Record Store Day celebration was the subject of a feature story from St. Louis Public Radio's Willis Ryder Arnold. (And if you'd like to hear the tunes that yr. humble StLJN editor laid on the shoppers at Vintage Vinyl during my RSD DJ set there, you can listen to the whole set online here.)

* Guitarist Eric Slaughter is profiled by drummer (and now, writer) Joe Pastor in the latest issue of the St. Louis Blues Society's Bluesletter (PDF).

* The Funky Butt Brass Band are the Reader's Pick in the "Best Local Band" category of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's 2015 GO! List Awards.

* In his latest CD reviews in the Post-Dispatch, Calvin Wilson opines on the new releases from bassist Kyle Eastwood and tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby’s band Tubacello.

* Jazz radio update:  Meanwhile, on Saturday's edition of his Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis program  “Somethin’ Else,” Wilson will compare and contrast music from recent recordings by pianists Vijay Iyer and Myra Melford.

After that on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will be playing some tracks from the new album by The Bosman Twins, as well as music from Wes Montgomery, Chuck Mangione, Miles Davis, 3rd Force, Dizzy Gillespie, Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn, and more

"Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by "The Jazz Collective" at 9:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) were interviewed for a short feature in St. Louis magazine by the mag's culture editor Stef Russell.

* The opening of Jazz St. Louis' new HQ was covered in the December issue of DownBeat magazine by St. Louis' own Terry Perkins.

* Cabaret singer Meghan Kirk performed Thursday on Fox 2's morning newscast. Kirk will do her show "The Story Goes On" tonight for a sold-out house at the Gaslight Theater as part of the final weekend of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival.

* Quincy Jones was interviewed by The Dinner Party Download about trumpeter Clark Terry and Keep On Keepin' On, the the new documentary about Terry that Jones co-produced.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has posted on Facebook an album of photos from their performance last Sunday for the St. Louis Jazz Club.

* Saxquest has posted on Facebook an album of photos from saxophonist Tia Fuller's performance and workshop there last Thursday.

* The U City High School jazz band has put online some photos from their workshop last week with pianist Peter Martin and trumpeter Sean Jones.

* In this week's Miles Davis-related news, Los Angeles-based apparel company Worn Free has launched a new line of Miles Davis t-shirts, with eight different designs priced from $35 to $50.

* Meanwhile, Prestige Records is looking for producers and DJs to do remixes of Davis' version of "Doxy." Prizes for the winners include $500 cash, a "large merch package from Prestige," an official release on a Spotify EP, and more.

* Jazz radio update: Saturday night on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else”, host Calvin Wilson will feature music from trios led by pianist Chick Corea, including tracks from his new album with Christian McBride and Brian Blade. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

So What: Local News, Notes and Links

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

* Multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman's work with the Municipal Commission on Arts and Letters for University City is the subject of a feature story by Terry Perkins for St. Louis Public Radio.

* KDHX is offering free public tours of the station's new headquarters at 3524 Washington, just east of Grand, starting this Saturday.

* Drummer, composer and St. Louis expat Ronnie Burrage is busy promoting Heal, the new release from his Band Burrage, with various live gigs including an appearance next Tuesday, February 11 at Penn State University's Music Is Life Festival. Burrage also has posted on YouTube a video excerpt from the band's recent performance at  the Blue Note in NYC, and created a new Reverb Nation page and Facebook store for those who wish to hear and/or purchase the new album.

* Elsewhere back east, several musicians with St. Louis roots with be appearing in NYC this month, starting with keyboardist Peter Martin and drummer Terreon Gully (pictured), who will be part of Dianne Reeves' ensemble for the singer's gigs on February 14 and 15 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater.

A few days later, saxophonist Greg Osby joins trumpeter Tom Harrell, drummer Matt Wilson, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, bassist Ben Allison, and pianist Aaron Goldberg for "Reflections on Monk" from Wednesday, February 17 through Saturday February 22 at Birdland. And that same week, drummer Marcus Baylor's Baylor Project, featuring Jean Baylor on vocals, will perform on February 20 at Smoke.

* There's quite a bit of Miles Davis-related news this week, starting with the news that Miles Davis Properties LLC has reached a deal with Kobalt Music Group to administer Davis' entire catalog, effective immediately. The company will attempt to develop new ways to exploit Davis' music in movies, TV, advertising, and other media.

* “The Wisdom of Miles Davis” was the title of the first lecture given this past week by pianist and composer Herbie Hancock in his capacity as the 2014 Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University.  Hancock's talk, the first in a series of six lectures entitled "The Ethics of Jazz," used his memories of Davis as a springboard to a discussion of racism, ethics, and Buddhism.

* MilesDavis.com and Creative Allies are sponsoring a contest to design an official poster for the soon-to-be-released CD box set Miles At The Fillmore‬. The winner receives cash and prizes, and the winning design will be included in the sets sold via the two websites. Meanwhile, Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings 1951-1956, another Davis box set first issued 20 years ago, is getting a deluxe limited edition reissue.

* And closer to home, the Miles Davis Memorial Project has put online a reservation form for their upcoming fundraising dinner on Saturday, March 22, at Lewis & Clark Community College. Tickets are $60 per person, $450 for a table of eight, and the deadline to RSVP is Sunday, March 9. For more information, call Pride, Incorporated at 618-467-2375 or email them at pride@prideincorporated.org.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts will sponsor another free workshop on "Navigating Health Care Reform" at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 19 at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. Saint Louis University School of Law health-law students will explain the Affordable Care Act and provide strategies for selecting a plan and determining eligibility for tax credits and subsidies. This workshop is FREE and open to artists of all disciplines, and guests are welcome, but you must register in advance.

VLAA and Community Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL) also will offer in-person help with health insurance enrollment from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, February 20 at the RAC offices. Artists of all disciplines can sign up for free one-on-one sessions with  trained, certified application counselors. Appointments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis; to sign up, send an email to vlaa@stlrac.org.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson sets an anticipatory mood for Valentine’s Day with recordings from Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle (from Waits' soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's One From The Heart), John Coltrane and singer Johnny Hartman, and Norah Jones.

Then on "The Jazz Collective," Jason Church will spin tracks from Four80East, Chris Standring, David Longoria, Donald Byrd, Sonny Rollins, Chuck Mangione, Lee Ritenour, the Brand New Heavies, Eumir Deodato, and Roy Ayers, as well as music from St. Louis' own Dawn Weber, Jesse Gannon, Jason Swagler, and Tommy Halloran.

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Clark Terry's blog has been updated with a new entry recounting his recent activities and acknowledging fund-raising efforts on his behalf.

The famed trumpeter and St. Louis native, who now resides in Pine Bluff, AR, will turn 93 tomorrow (Saturday, December 14). Fans and friends have been soliciting donations to help pay for the cost of Terry's nursing care so that he can continue to enjoy living in his own home. For more about that, please see this post.

* The Regional Arts Commission this week announced the winners of its first ten Artist Fellowships, which are worth $20,000 to each of the ten recipients. Pianist Peter Martin (pictured) was the only musician to win one of the fellowships; the other disciplines represented include dance, visual art, theater arts, literature, and media arts.

* Musica Slesa percussionist Matt Henry chatted with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson for a preview story about the band's gig this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Guitarist John Pizzarelli, who will be in St. Louis next week with his dad Bucky Pizzarelli to play at the Bistro, is the subject of an interview on St. Louis magazine's Look/Listen blog. For more Pizzarelli coverage, see this post from last week.

* When violinist Regina Carter was in St. Louis last month to play the Bistro, she also made a stop to perform for and visit with the patients at Children's Hospital, as recounted in this story written by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon. The Wash U medical center news site also has a report on Carter's visit, complete with video, here.

* Speaking of videos, saxophonist Oliver Lake has recorded four instructional clips for Jazz at Lincoln Center, which can be accessed from the JALC website here.

* The latest Miles Davis reissue, compiling the trumpeter's nine mono albums originally recorded for the Columbia label, was reviewed by The Daily Beast.

* An update published by the Miles Davis Memorial Project on the Alton area news website Riverbend.com says they'll hold another another community meeting in late January, with details TBA. The group also is planning a fundraising dinner for March 22 on the campus of Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey.

* Guitarist Todd Mosby recently has begun blogging about various musical topics, and you can read his thoughts on subjects ranging from 1960s soul house bands to the differences between "program music" and "absolute music" here. Mosby's latest musical project is Circle, which he describes as "a new music ensemble which performs contemporary compositional mix of rags and choice kirtan...(featuring) vocals, acoustic guitars, indian guitar, native flutes, harmonium and tabla." The group plays next at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, December 14 at Yoga 6, 5724 Oakland Ave.

* Jazz radio update: WSIE (88.7 FM) will be conducting an on-air fund-raising drive this weekend, starting at 4:00 p.m. today and continuing through Sunday evening. Premiums for the station's supporters will include WSIE-branded items such as beverage tumblers and desk clocks, CDs from the St. Louis-based MAXJAZZ label, and Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock releases from the Legacy label.

Various guests from the local music scene also will be dropping in throughout the weekend to lend their support, including yr. humble StLJN editor. I'll be on the air for a few minutes around 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, chatting about jazz in St. Louis and making what I hope will be a persuasive case for donations. 


Elsewhere on the radio dial, over at Radio Arts Foundation -St. Louis this Saturday's episode of Calvin Wilson's program “Somethin’ Else”  will feature "mostly solo piano, performed by artists including Chick Corea, Joe Sample and Thelonious Monk."

Right after that, Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective" will play holiday music from Wynton Marsalis, Mindi Abair, Joshua Redman, The Yellowjackets, Vince Guaraldi, Kirk Whalum and more, plus tracks from St. Louis musicians including Al Hammerman, Lynne Fiddmont, Dawn Weber and Erin Bode.

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist Tom McDermott had a few words with Terry Perkins for a St. Louis Beacon article about the St. Louis International Film Festival's presentation tomorrow of the film biography of New Orleans pianist James Booker. McDermott will perform a Booker-inspired solo set following the screening at Webster University.

* Meanwhile, KPLR had a short feature on The Pleasures of Being Out of Step, the biography of writer and jazz critic Nat Hentoff that's also being shown during this year's SLIFF.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley talks about his shows this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro in an article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

* There's lots of Miles Davis news this week, starting with the release of a nine-CD box set of original mono versions of albums recorded by the trumpeter's first "great quintet" and with the arranger Gil Evans, and a review, via the Daily Beast, of the new book of Davis' artwork.

Meanwhile, the New York Times had a feature story on how Davis' heirs continue to promote his legacy more than 20 years after his death, which prompted blogger Jeffrey Hyatt of Miles Davis Online to assess the estate's official Internet presence.

But the biggest Davis-related news of the week is that actor Don Cheadle appears to have found financing for his long-awaited feature film about Davis, now titled Kill The Trumpet Player, with filming scheduled to begin next summer.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby (pictured) has helped design and is endorsing a new line of signature saxophones made by P. Mauriat and distributed by St. Louis Music.

* KDHX has put online some new audio recordings of saxophonist C. Felton "Raven Wolf" Jennings and poet Dwight Bitikofer.

* If you missed the tenth anniversary of Noisefest a couple of weeks ago at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center, you can check out excerpts from a number of the performances via the YouTube channel of "izzythepusher."

* Singer-songwriter Al Hammerman was interviewed by the website Pop Goes The Week.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's "Somethin' Else" expounds on the theme of "talent deserving wider recognition" with tracks from pianists Myra Melford and Kenny Barron, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, and more. Next up, Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective" will spotlight trumpeters including Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd, Herb Alpert and Maynard Ferguson, as well as music from locals such as Jim Manley, Dawn Weber and the Funky Butt Brass Band. Wilson's program can be heard at 8:00 p.m., followed by Church's show at 9:00 p.m., via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2 and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Down the dial at KWMU (90.7 FM), "Jazz Unlimited" host Dennis Owsley this Sunday will present the second part of his historic survey of live jazz from Carnegie Hall, plus a tribute to the recently deceased saxophonist and flute player Frank Wess. The program airs from 9:00 p.m. to midnight and also can be heard 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:

* 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).