So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Tom "Papa" Ray, proprietor of Vintage Vinyl and presenter of the "Soul Selector" program airing Monday afternoons on KDHX (88.1 FM), is hosting a new program on local PBS affiliate Nine Network.

According to a report from the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill, Papa Ray's Vintage Vinyl Roadshow is "envisioned as a documentary focused on the independent record store as a cultural entity." The show's pilot episode will air on the Nine Network a total of three times starting Thursday, September 3, with the possibility of becoming an ongoing series "if all goes well with the premiere."

* David Sanborn has a new release of old music, a 3-CD set (pictured) titled Anything You Want – The Warner, Reprise, Elektra Years 1975-1999, that compiles favorite material from early in the saxophonist's career.

* From the latest issue of trumpeter Nate Wooley's Sound American magazine, writer Chris Pitsiokos offers "Four Thoughts About Miles Davis's On the Corner."

* Also on the Miles Davis beat, writer Richard Williams of The Blue Moment reviews The Gil Evans Project's recent rerecording of music that Evans arranged for Davis' Sketches of Spain.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Free tickets are available now for "Such Sweet Thunder," a collaboration among Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Big Muddy Dance Company, and Jazz St. Louis that will be presented Thursday, October 3 through Saturday, October 5 outdoors at the Public Media Commons in Grand Center.

* Bassist and singer Janet Evra has released a music video of "Baila," an original tune from her debut album Ask Her to Dance. The video is the first of three being produced as part of Evra's year-long residency with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

* Last Saturday's Alton Jazz and Wine Festival was covered in a feature story by the Alton Telegraph's David Blanchette.

* “Black Indian Rain Dance,” a track from Pyramids, the new album (pictured) from trumpeter Russell Gunn's Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, was featured on NextBop.com.

* A new menu at The Dark Room is the subject of a feature by Feast magazine's Mabel Suen.

* A couple of weeks ago at the Landmark Theatre in Los Angeles, Stanley Nelson, director of the new documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, took part in a discussion of the film with musicians Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter; actor Carl Lumbly; Miles Davis' nephew Vince Wilburn Jr.; and Davis' son Erin Davis, and a video of the talk has been posted to YouTube.

* Nelson, Wilburn, Erin Davis, and Miles' daughter Cheryl Davis were in St. Louis last weekend for the film's premiere here, and their visit also included a trip to the trumpeter's restored childhood home in East St. Louis, as documented in stories by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn and St. Louis Public Radio's Chad Davis.

* As seen on social media, Wilburn also made time during his St. Louis visit for a trip to Vintage Vinyl.

* Lastly, now that the Davis documentary has opened in theaters around the country, more reviews are coming in rapidly, including appraisals from RogerEbert.com, San Francisco Chronicle, WeAreMovieGeeks.com, Austin Chronicle, and DenOfGeek.com.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* In their ongoing series of features about the best record stores in every state, VinylMePlease.com has named Vintage Vinyl (pictured) as the "Best Record Store in Missouri."

* As part of a group of "in memoriam" articles in the March issue of Jazz Times, saxophonist Oliver Lake offered a poetic tribute to his late friend and bandmate Hamiet Bluiett. Lake performs tonight at Xavier Hall on the St. Louis University campus.

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard, in town last weekend for a series of events promoting the premiere of his opera Fire Shut Up In My Bones later this year at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, was interviewed by Don Marsh of St. Louis Public Radio.

* Also on St. Louis Public Radio, singer Beverly Brennan was interviewed about her cabaret show "Love and Marriage," which she'll perform tonight at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio has posted to YouTube a full-length video of last week's concert featuring guitarist Romero Lubambo, pianist Helio Alves, drummer Edu Ribeiro, and bassist Bob DeBoo.

* Voting in St. Louis magazine's annual "A-List" poll is now open, and while there are no jazz-specific categories, you can cast a ballot for your favorite music venues, festivals, and more here.

* Two former Miles Davis sidemen are getting attention for new projects paying tribute to their old boss, as saxophonist Dave Liebman was interviewed in DownBeat about his new album re-visiting Davis' music from On The Corner, while multi-instrumentalist/producer Marcus Miller was featured in Parade magazine for two Davis-related concerts this month at Jazz at Lincoln Center..

* Phil Dunlap, who has run education and community outreach programs for Jazz St. Louis for the past 12 years, is leaving the organization to take a new job as director of cultural affairs for Broward County, FL, running that county's equivalent to the Regional Arts Commission. Dunlap will depart JSL at the end of April; there's been no announcement yet about a successor.

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 finance the debut recording of his Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, which he describes as an "ultra modern contemporary Jazz Big Band from the U.S.A." featuring vocalist Dionne Farris.

You can find out more about the project and pledge your support here.

* The latest album from Trio 3, featuring saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake, was reviewed by the Free Jazz Blog.

* A 100th birthday tribute to Buddy Rich at Ronnie Scott's in London, featuring drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl driving a group of alumni of Rich's big band for half the show, was reviewed by Jazz Journal.

* Jazziz magazine has published a download-only article detailing "what they think are the five absolute essential Miles Davis albums that any jazz lover must have in their collection." (Spoiler: Their picks are Kind of Blue, Miles Ahead, 'Round About Midnight, Nefertiti, and In A Silent Way.) The download is available (in exchange for an email address) here.

* Speaking of Miles, the SFJAZZ Collective's latest album featuring their new arrangements of Davis' compositions was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's John Kelman.

* The website Best of American Towns has included St. Louis' Vintage Vinyl on their list of "15 of the Best Record Stores in America."

* After a hiatus of several months, pianist Peter Martin has a new blog post up at Medium.com, offering his thoughts on the ballad comping style of pianist Wynton Kelly.

* Gene Dobbs Bradford of Jazz St. Louis is one of seven winners of the Arts and Education Council's St. Louis Arts Awards for 2018. Bradford will receive his award, which is for "Excellence in the Arts," at A&E's gala event on January 22 at the Chase Park Plaza hotel.

* Keyboardist James Hegarty, cellist Tracy Andreotti, and flute player Fred Tompkins have released more new improvised music under Hegarty's "Secret Sessions" imprint, now available as a free download from Bandcamp.

Jazz this week: Route 66 Jazz Orchestra, "Miles Ahead" in concert, Bosman Twins, Vernacular String Trio, and more

There's not much going on this week in terms of well-known touring jazz and creative musicians visiting St. Louis, but fortunately, our town's plentiful contingent of local players has some noteworthy things planned.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 17
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra (pictured, top left) returns to Jazz at the Bistro, the Sidney Street Shakers will play traditional jazz and swing at their monthly gig at Foam, and trumpeter Jim Manley will be back at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, May 18
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band, directed by pianist Phil Dunlap, will celebrate the upcoming birthday of iconic trumpeter Miles Davis with "Miles Ahead: Miles Davis, Gil Evans and the Birth of Cool," a free lecture/concert program featuring re-creations of arrangements from Davis' famed collaboration with arranger/pianist Evans, at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Thursday, Cabaret Project St. Louis marks the five-year anniversary of their monthly "Broadway Open Mic" night in the event's latest location, the Curtain Call Lounge, next to the Fox Theatre.

Friday, May 19
The Bosman Twins (pictured, center left) will return for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, and drummer Steve Davis's band, featuring vocalist Feyza Eren, will perform in a free concert at the Webster Groves Concert Hall (formerly the Ozark Theatre).

Also on Friday, singer Ann Dueren's trio will perform for diners and drinkers at Gerard's in Des Peres.

Saturday, May 20
The Funky Butt Brass Band will play their monthly gig at Broadway Oyster Bar, and trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's.

Sunday, May 21
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents The Gaslight Squares with guest trumpeter Bill Mason at the Webster Groves Concert Hall, and the Vernacular String Trio (pictured, bottom left) will promote the release of their album Parlance with a free in-store performance at Vintage Vinyl.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* This Saturday, April 22 is the 10th annual celebration of Record Store Day, and as in recent years, yr. StLJN editor once again will be taking part by doing a "guest DJ" stint at Vintage Vinyl, spinning tunes inside the U City store for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m. (If you look closely at the event poster (pictured), you can even see my name in small type at the lower right.)

As usual, VV and their fellow music retailers in St. Louis have a full day of activities, live music, giveaways and more planned for RSD, and you can get an overview of who's doing what via Kevin Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Are you, or do you know, an accountant with an appreciation for jazz? If so, your dream job could be waiting, as Jazz St. Louis is looking for a Chief Financial Officer. You can find out more about the job and how to apply here. 

* The second annual Make Music Day St. Louis festival, the relatively recent local addition to a long-running, worldwide event marking the summer solstice, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21. Musicians and venues interested in participating can find more information at www.makemusicstl.org.

* Trumpeter Sean Jones, a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent years, is preparing to put out his first-ever  live album, which was recorded here at Jazz at the Bistro. Set to be released by Mack Avenue Records on Friday, May 26, the aptly titled Live from Jazz at the Bistro features Jones' working band of the past 12 years and is available for pre-order now.

* The group of musicians from the STL Free Jazz Collective, Vernacular String Trio, and others recording under the "Secret Sessions" banner have released another album as a pay-what-you-will download on Bandcamp.  

* Trumpeter Adam Hucke of the Funky Butt Brass Band (and various other local ensembles) is the subject of a feature story in this week's Riverfront Times. Hucke will celebrate the release of his first solo album Madam, I'm Adam with a show Sunday night at the Old Rock House.

* The date is set for the 2017 Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place from noon to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16 in the area around the intersection of Lockwood and Gore in Webster Groves' "Old Webster" business district. The festival's lineup of bands will be announced at a later date.

Fred Tompkins releases new CD Another Place

Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has released a new CD, Another Place, featuring eight original compositions performed by a cast of St. Louis musicians and singers.

In addition to Tompkins' work on flutes, piano, and sampler, the self-produced release (pictured) features performances from guitarists Dave Black and Lee Scott Price, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, drummers Gary Sykes, Kevin Cheli and Charlie Dent, keyboardists Jim Hegarty, Greg Mills and Henry Palkes, and singer Debby Lennon.

While most of the album was recorded in Tompkins' studio, several tracks also incorporate live improvisations from performances at the now-closed Tavern of Fine Arts.

Another Place is available as a CD from Vintage Vinyl, Euclid Records, CD Baby and Tompkins' website, and also can be purchased in digital form at iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* KDHX has put on their Flickr page a photo set from Femi Kuti's performance a couple of weeks ago at the Ready Room.

* St. Louis' own Vintage Vinyl (pictured) is one of a select group of music retailers featured an article in last Friday's USA Today, "Vinyl lives! 10 great record stores for a musical treasure hunt".

* Saxophonist Greg Lewis Jr was profiled by the Belleville News-Democrat.
 
* The Rustic Goat and The Lux, two downtown nightspots that sometimes present live jazz, were raided and closed this week by St. Louis police this week for liquor license violations. 

* After eight years as director of marketing and communications for Jazz St. Louis, Devin Rodino has left the the organization, effective yesterday. An email from Rodino said he's moving to Columbia, MO for "personal reasons," and StLJN wishes him all the the best in his future endeavors.

With Rodino's departure, Jazz St. Louis is seeking a new marketing and communications director. They've posted a job description online in PDF format here, and you can find about more about the position, as well as other current job openings at JSL - for a development associate and a part-time box office associate - here.

*  David Garfield, the Metro East native who serves as touring keyboardist and music director for guitarist George Benson, was singled out for some praise by London Jazz News in their review of Benson's show last month in London.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* HEC-TV has released the final episode of I Love Jazz, the program created and hosted by the late Don Wolff (pictured).

Hosted by Cordell Whitlock, the last episode pays tribute to Wolff, who died last November, and also includes stories on the jazz program at Washington University and the dedication last September of the statue honoring Miles Davis in Alton, IL. You can see the episode online here.

* Tomorrow is the annual celebration of independent music retailers known as Record Store Day, and St. Louis stores taking part in the event with special pricing and promotions, live music, and more will include Euclid Records, Music Record Shop, Planet Score Records, Record Exchange, and Vintage Vinyl. There's also a new store on Cherokee Street, Endless Planets, that will be holding its grand opening celebration that day..

As mentioned last week in this space, yr. humble StLJN editor once again will be among the local music writers doing hour-long "guest DJ" sets at Vintage Vinyl, spinning tunes on the in-house sound system from 2:30 p.m. from 3:30 p.m.

You can find guides to all the local Record Store Day activities in both the Riverfront Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. And if you're looking for a list of the various record labels' special jazz releases for RSD 2016, DownBeat has all that info for you here.

* The 442s appear on the latest episode of the TV program STL Up Late, which can be seen online here.

* Wack-A-Doo has posted photos from their recent "Coffee Concert" performances at The Sheldon to Flickr and Facebook.

* St. Louis Legacy Ensemble has posted to YouTube a video of "Lafayette," a new original song by percussionist and bandleader Joe Pastor.

* Guitarist Todd Mosby has posted video of a new original song, "Ode to Joe," on Facebook. Mosby will perform it and other songs from his new album in a CD release event on April 30 at Focal Point

* Trombonist Dave Dickey's performance at tomorrow's North County Jazz Festival in Park Hills, MO is previewed in an article in the Park Hills Daily Journal.

* The Belleville News Democrat reports that student jazz bands from Belleville made a good showing in the annual Illinois State Jazz Invitational last weekend, as Central Junior High took first place in the statewide competition's junior high division and the District 118 Jazz Combo won first place in the high school division.

* According to a Riverfront Times article by Thomas Crone, the proprietors of 2720 Cherokee are reorganizing both their live music offerings and their physical space, including opening a new, smaller-scale lounge called Barcade within the 2720 building.

* Saxophonist Rev. Cliff Aerie and trumpeter/pianist Tim Osiek have published Hymns of the Spirit: Pentecost and Beyond, the fourth volume of arrangements in their Worship Jazz series. The downloadable book features hymns "arranged in a variety of jazz genres: straight ahead, Latin, Dixieland, funk and more," with all 12 selections transposed for C, Bb, Eb and bass clef instrumentation.

* Lindy Hop St. Louis, organizers of the annual Nevermore Jazz Ball weekend held in the fall, have announced the dates for the 2016 River City Mess Around. The fourth annual edition of the summer swing dance weekend will be held July 1 through July 4, with venues and exact schedule of events TBA.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist Peter Martin's new album What Lies Ahead is out today. It's a self-released trio date with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, also featuring guest appearances from singers Erin Bode and Brian Owens and members of The 442s.

You can see a video of Martin, Rogers and Hutchinson playing "Clapper Dapper" from the album (pictured) here, and hear audio excerpts from some of the other tracks and/or order a copy here.

Martin and company will celebrate the release with a performance next Saturday, October 10 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Jazz St. Louis now is offering four pairs of free student tickets for selected Wednesday night performances via a pre-show lottery. Students 25 years old and younger can go to the box office starting at 6:00 p.m., present their ID and enter their name to win one of the pairs of free tickets.

A drawing then will take place at 7:00 p.m., and each of the four winners will be able to use their tickets for either the 7:30 or 9:30 p.m. performance that evening. For details, see the Jazz St. Louis website.

* Trumpeter and East St. Louis native Russell Gunn is composing original music for Fetch Clay, Make Man, a new play opening later this month in a production from Atlanta's True Colors Theatre.

The play, which is based on a true story about a meeting between Muhammad Ali and actor Lincoln Perry (better known as his character "Stepin Fetchit") before Ali's second fight with Sonny Liston, opens October 27 and runs through November 22 at the Southwest Arts Center in Atlanta.

* Pianist Reggie Thomas, another St. Louis expat who's now heading the jazz studies department at Northern Illinois University, will be part of the rhythm section for the Thelonious Monk Institute's International Jazz Vocals Competition to be held November 14 and 15 in Los Angeles.

Thomas, bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Carl Allen will back the contestants as they perform for a panel of judges including Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Freddy Cole, Al Jarreau, and Luciana Souza.

* Vintage Vinyl has made the website Thrillist's list of "The 21 Best Record Shops in America."

* John F. Goodman (a writer, not the St. Louis-born actor) of Jazz Inside and Out reviewed the DVD of the Clark Terry documentary Keep On Keepin' On.

* Pinched by a series of budget cuts affecting state universities in Illinois, radio station WSIE has launched another IndieGoGo campaign, this time hoping to raise $10,000 to help with operational expenses. You can learn more about the campaign and pledge your support here.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake has posted to Facebook some photos from Tuesday's night Trio 3 performance with guest pianist Ethan Iverson at the Blue Note in NYC

* The Riverfront Times annual "Best of St. Louis" issue is out this week, and to no one's surprise, Jazz at the Bistro aka Ferring Jazz Bistro was named "Best Jazz Club" in both the staff-written listings and the reader's poll.

Unanimity did not prevail in the selection of "Best Blues Club" though, as the readers picked BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, while the staff selected the Blues City Deli.

Edited after posting to correct errors in the item about the RFT's "Best of St. Louis" list.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Lew Prince, half of the partnership that has run the local indie record store Vintage Vinyl (pictured) for the last 35 years, has sold his stake in the business to co-proprietor Tom "Papa" Ray.

Prince told the Riverfront Times' Jaime Lees that after a break, he'll be looking for a new job or project. Ray will continue to operate VV as sole owner.

* Also in the RFT, contributor Bob McMahon looks at the current state of the recording studio business in St. Louis, and finds it to be "thriving."

* The application period is now open for the Regional Arts Commission's 2015 Artist Fellowships. RAC will award $20,000 each to ten St. Louis artists "in varied disciplines" to provide "funds to allow for more time and space to study, reflect, experiment, explore, practice, and create." Applications must be submitted by Friday, August 7; for more information or to apply, visit RAC's website.

* An essay at New England Public Radio suggests that the late Clark Terry's musical versatility qualified him as an unexpected postmodernist.

* Jim Dolan of The Presenters Dolan will be hosting a group trip in October to NYC's Cabaret Convention. The package includes opportunities to take in cabaret and Broadway shows, as well as special events and parties specifically for the tour group. To find out more, visit The Presenters Dolan website.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake has put together a short video introducing himself and his work that's now posted on Youtube.

* To promote his Whitaker Music Festival show this past Wednesday - unfortunately, postponed until next year due to wet conditions at Missouri Botanical Garden - singer Joe Mancuso did a brief interview with St. Louis magazine and appeared on KSDK's Show Me St. Louis.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has posted to Facebook photo albums from saxophonist Ben Reece's farewell show last week at Broadway Oyster Bar, and new saxophonist Aaron Cebulske's official debut at a concert for the St. Louis Jazz Club.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program “Somethin’ Else” will greet the solstice with summer-themed music from Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Abbey Lincoln, and others. "Somethin' Else" airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 18

This Saturday is the ninth annual Record Store Day, the national celebration of independent music sellers, and St. Louis record stores will be doing their part, not only selling special limited-edition new releases but also offering various other promotional activities and in-store performances.

Yr. humble StLJN editor once again will taking part in some of those activities as one of the "guest DJs" spinning records in-store at Vintage Vinyl in the U City Loop. I'll be taking over the store's DJ booth for an hour starting at 4:30 p.m., playing jazz, blues, funk, soul and more, with a high probability of some recordings from St. Louis musicians being in the mix.

In addition to the lineup of visiting record-spinners, drawn from the local music scene, the festivities at VV also will include live bands performing all day outside the store, free coffee and donuts in the morning, free beer (for those of legal drinking age), and more. You can see a complete schedule of events here.

Over in Webster Groves, Euclid Records also will be doing it up big, with live bands and comedians both on Friday night and all day Saturday, plus coffee, beer, doughnuts, BBQ from Highway 61 Roadhouse, and so on. You can see their band schedule and more details here.

Down in the Grove, the all-vinyl Music Record Shop will present five bands next door at the Demo, and local vendors such as Urban Chestnut Brewery, Rise Coffee and the Gramophone will be offering food and beverages. Other area music retailers taking part in RSD event include CD Reunion, Reunion Revolution, Slackers, and V-Stock.

You can see the complete list of Record Store Day special releases here, and a searchable list of all participating stores nationwide here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has released online a new song, "Because It's Christmas." Proceeds from the sale of downloads of the tune will benefit Music for Lifelong Achievement, a St. Louis not-for-profit organization that collects and refurbishes used musical instruments and then distributes them to local students in need.

* Also just in time for Christmas, trumpeter Jeremy Davenport, who grew up in U City and now lives in New Orleans, made a music video of "Silent Night" as one of a series of holiday songs sponsored by the New Orleans Times-Picayune

* St. Louis native Andre Boyd (pictured), who's been drumming for Cirque du Soleil's touring production Quidam for the past four years, is number six on the UK drum magazine Rhythm's list of the "10 best new drummers in the world right now."

* Vintage Vinyl was featured on the vinyl-record enthusiast website Cooking With Vinyl.

* Jazz St. Louis is looking for feedback from patrons who have visited the remodeled Jazz at the Bistro this fall. If you'd like to weigh in with your opinion of the new digs, you can complete the online survey here.

* Photos of Clark Terry's 94th birthday celebration this past weekend have been posted to the trumpeter's official Facebook page.

* Also posted to Facebook, a photo album from new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound's performance last week at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will present jazz recordings dealing with issues of social injustice from Billie Holiday, Ben Allison, Wallace Roney, and more. 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.

Edited after posting to add the Jeremy Davenport link. 

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Congratulations to the proprietors and staff of Vintage Vinyl, which this week was named one of USA Today's 10 Best Record Stores in America. 

* Trumpeter Byron Stripling was interviewed about his upcoming show with the St. Louis Symphony by the St. Louis American's Chris King.

* The 442s sold-out album release event tonight was previewed in a story written by Terry Perkins for St. Louis Public Radio.

* Singer Erin Bode and guitarist Dave Black are among the St. Louis musicians who are profiled in the newest issue of the glossy local lifestyle mag Studio 3.

* Bassist Darin Gray will tour this summer with singer/guitarist Jeff Tweedy's new solo project. Gray's not the first musician with lots of free improv experience hired by Tweedy, who also employs guitarist Nels Cline in his main band Wilco.

* The new Miles Davis at the Fillmore box set was reviewed for AllAboutJazz.com by both Ian Patterson and Doug Collette.

* And speaking of Davis and AAJ, the new book Miles Davis: The Collected Artwork was reviewed for the site by Nenad Georgievski.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person's big band will make their Jazz at Lincoln Center debut with a performance next Wednesday, May 28 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola.

* The jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of the accused killers of Patrice Thimes, sister of singer Denise Thimes. The circuit attorney's office expressed sympathy for the Thimes family and said they will "evaluate as we move forward on our next steps." Patrice Thimes was killed by a stray bullet on St. Patrick's Day 2011 as she unknowingly drove into the middle of a gunfight on a city street. The trial of a third suspect is set to begin in June.

* Alton's Jacoby Arts Center, site of last week's Miles Davis Jazz Festival and other musical performances throughout the year, has launched a fundraising effort via Kickstarter. The solicitation says that "we may have to shut our doors after eight years. But with your help, we’ll be able to Save Jacoby." With nine days to go, the campaign has raised $2,840 in pledges toward a $10,000 goal.

* Saxophonist Peter Brötzmann was interviewed by the music website Something Else. Brötzmann, bassist William Parker and percussionist Hamid Drake will perform in St. Louis on Wednesday, June 4 at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center.

* So, here's a thing that happened: StLJN now is ranked by one leading online authority as the #6 jazz blog IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!!1!!

Seriously, though, while StLJN has been been listed for some time in Blogmetrics.com's "Top 25 Jazz Blogs," usually ranking somewhere in the mid-teens, apparently they've rejiggered their algorithms or something, and as a result, the site has moved up the list. While yr. humble editor tries not to put much stock in this sort of thing, as the ratings have a tendency to fluctuate up and down, it did seem worth a mention, so...consider it mentioned. 

* Jazz radio update:  On this Saturday's episode of Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will feature recordings by jazz musicians who have been recipients of MacArthur "genius" grants,   including violinist Regina Carter, drummer Dafnis Prieto and saxophonist Ken Vandermark

After that on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will re-play segments from an interview with trumpeter and St. Louis native Keyon Harrold and spin some of his music, as well as sounds from Pieces of a Dream, Native Vibe, Chris Standring, Steve Oliver, Horace Silver, Lou Donaldson, Dave Brubeck, 3rd Force, The Rippingtons, Marcus Miller, and more.

Wilson's program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church 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 local news items of interest:

* There's a new entry on Clark Terry's blog, in which the legendary trumpeter and St. Louis native - who at 93 is physically frail but remains indomitable in spirit - details his recent efforts to "keep on keepin' on."

Said blog post also alerted us to a nice feature story about Terry published earlier this year in Allegro, the magazine of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians.

* Tomorrow is the annual Record Store Day, and St. Louis music purveyors including Euclid Records, Apop Records, and Vintage Vinyl will celebrating variously with live music, in-store guest DJs, food and drink, special limited edition releases, and more. You can get a good overview of the goings-on around town via this article by the Riverfront Times' Mike Appelstein.

Also, as mentioned (or, depending upon your point of view, threatened) in this space last week, once again this year I'll be a guest DJ at Vintage Vinyl, spinning jazz, blues, funk, soul and who-know-what-else inside the store for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m.. Don't say you haven't been warned.

* Modern dance company MADCO's premiere production of "Liquid Roads," which incorporated live jazz and blues from a band led by trumpeter Brian Casserly, was reviewed by Chris Gibson of Broadway World and by UMSL's student paper The Current.

* One of singer Storm Large's sold-out performances last weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted on Facebook an album of photos from their most recent performance at First Unity Church of St. Louis.

* Also on Facebook, the Sidney Street Shakers have posted an album of photos from their performance at Schlafly's Repeal of Prohibition Festival 2014.

* Want to win free tickets to see Harry Connick Jr. on Saturday, May 3 at the Peabody Opera House? The Post-Dispatch's GO! section is doing a giveaway on Facebook; see their page for details.

* Trumpeter Steve Lilley of the St. Louis Stompers is going this weekend to Fox Lake, WI to pay tribute to legendary trumpeter Bunny Berigan as part of the annual Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee.

* As predicted, the controversial bill granting a Los Angeles company exclusive rights to produce music festivals in downtown St. Louis on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends was passed this week by the St. Louis board of aldermen. Get the details in stories from from Nick Pistor of the Post and Kris Wernowsky of the RFT.

* The Jazz Journalists Association has announced the winners of its 2014 award in the musician and recording categories, and although several have performed in St. Louis during the past year, the only award tied to a local musician is the Historical Record of the Year, which went to Miles Davis' Miles Davis Quintet Live in Europe 1969 on Columbia Legacy (pictured). You can see the complete list of JJA award winners here.

* The Goldenrod Showboat, which for decades hosted jazz, ragtime and theater performances on the St. Louis riverfront, has gotten one more reprieve from the scrapyard, as the not-for-profit group trying to save the boat has reached an agreement to regain ownership from the Illinois River dock owners who bought it at auction last year. Paul Schankman of Fox 2 News also covered the story here.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program "Somethin' Else" will feature the songs of Jerome Kern, as interpreted by musicians including Keith Jarrett, Jackie McLean and Bill Frisell.

After that on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church promises spins of Cindy Bradley, Vincent Ingala, Bob Baldwin,Freddie Hubbard, Larry Carlton, Candy Dulfer, B.D. Lenz, as well as St. Louis' own Grant Green, Tommy Halloran, Elliott Ranney, Jim Stevens, and Dawn Weber, plus more.

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

Elsewhere on the HD dial, longtime local radio veteran Rick Sanborn has joined the on-air staff at Hip 96.3 HD-3. Sanborn has been heard on several different St. Louis broadcast outlets including yesteryear smooth jazz station WSSM, and for several years also lent his name to a summer series of smooth jazz concerts at the Pageant. Fans can hear him on the new gig from noon to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Drummer and St. Louis native Mark Colenburg, currently working with pianist Robert Glasper, is featured in the current issue of Yamaha's promotional magazine All Access.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn's next album Enjoy The View, a collaborative effort with mallet percussionist Bobby Hutcherson, organist Joey DeFrancesco, and drummer Billy Hart is coming out Tuesday, June 24 on Blue Note Records. The album marks Hutcherson's return to the label for which he did some of his most widely recognized recordings in the 1960s and 70s.

* Pianist Peter Martin will travel next week to NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center to lead a restaging of The Real Ambassadors, the musical that was created in 1961 by Dave Brubeck and Louis Armstrong to spread American culture around the world.

The work was recorded for Columbia in 1961, but was performed live only once, at the 1962 Monterey Jazz Festival. Other participants in the revival will include bassist Robert Hurst, drummer Ulysses Owens, vocalist Roberta Gambarini and trumpeter James Zollar, plus Yolande Bavan, who took part in the 1962 performance, as the narrator.

* Saxophonist and jazz educator Ronald Carter (pictured), who trained many local musicians while he was band director at East St. Louis' Lincoln HS, is retiring this spring from his job as head of jazz studies at Northern Illinois University. A concert paying tribute to Carter will take place next Thursday, April 10, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center on the NIU campus.

* Pianist Stephanie Trick's performance last month for the Roosmoor Jazz Club in Walnut Creek, CA was captured on video and is featured on the blog Jazz Lives.

* New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound has posted to their Facebook page an album of photos from their performance Tuesday at the Pageant

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake is set to take part in a tribute to Eric Dolphy next month in Montclair, NJ that will feature some Dolphy compositions never before recorded or performed in public. Drummer Pheeroan akLaff is organizing the show, which also will include luminaries such as Richard Davis, Gunther Schuller, Don Byron, Vernon Reid, and Henry Threadgill, and is raising funds via a page on IndieGoGo.

* Speaking of fundraisers, trumpeter Terence Blanchard still has a long way to go in his effort to gather $140,000 to record Champion, his "opera in jazz" that premiered last summer at Opera Theatre St. Louis. With 19 days to go, the project's IndieGoGo page puts the contributions to date at $13,035.

Coincidentally, Blanchard this past week also was involved in paying tribute to the St. Louis area's most famous jazz musician, performing the music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans in a concert at the University of Miami.

* And speaking of Davis, reviews are coming in for the new box set of material he recorded at the Fillmore from publications ranging from the New York Times to the San Antonio Current, to online outlets including
PopMatters, Pitchfork, The Arts Desk, and AllAbout Jazz.com.

* Congratulations to Jon Poses of the "We Always Swing" jazz series in Columbia, who was named one of 24 local "Jazz Heroes" for 2014 by the Jazz Journalists Association.

* Vintage Vinyl marketing manager Jim Utz was profiled in an article this week's St. Louis Business Journal, though alas, the full text is for subscribers only.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts will present their next "Business Edge" workshop on Monday, April 7 at the Regional Arts Commission offices on Delmar. Titled "Square Feet," the session will provide information on real estate contracts aimed at artists contemplating leasing living or working space. The cost is $10 per person in advance, and you can register by sending an email to vlaa at stlrac dot org.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's edition of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson will showcase "new standards" from current popular artists from OutKast to Oasis as performed by musicians including trumpeter Wallace Roney, singer-pianist Patricia Barber, and bassist Ben Allison.

After that, The Jazz Collective's host Jason Church will celebrate the program's one-year anniversary with a re-broadcast of his very first episode, featuring music from Chris Standring, Bob James, Ronny Jordan, Tia Fuller, Miles Davis, Ben Williams, Funky Butt Brass Band, Tommy Halloran, Dawn Weber, and Robert Silverman.

Wilson's program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church 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 local news items of interest:

* Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard's Champion, which premiered last summer at Opera Theatre St. Louis, has been named a finalist in the "World Premiere" category of the 2014 Opera Awards. Blanchard is back in St. Louis this weekend to perform on Saturday night at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Jazz St. Louis' Gene Dobbs Bradford and Bob Bennett described their favorite releases from the late Richard McDonnell's MAXJAZZ label for an article by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Bassist Christian McBride's trio shows next week at Jazz at the Bistro are previewed in a Post-Dispatch article by Terry Perkins.

* The "Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60" tour, which features an all-star band including St. Louis' Peter Martin on piano, kicked off this past week with dates in Atlanta and Boston. The tour will play a total of 17 cities, ending here in St. Louis on Sunday, March 30 at The Sheldon. The band (pictured, from left) is comprised of singer Karrin Allyson, drummer Clarence Penn, bassist Larry Grenadier, clarinetist/saxophonist and musical director Anat Cohen, guitarist Mark Whitfield, trumpeter Randy Brecker, and Martin.

* St. Louis record stores Vintage Vinyl, Euclid Records and Record Exchange all got shout-outs in a recent post from the blog Vinyl Record Collector.

* Greg Osby, in conjunction with St. Louis retailer Saxquest, has put online a series of videos in which he demonstrates his new signature alto sax by P. Mauriat.

* Singer Tony Viviano makes an appearance at the end of a promotional video released this week by StL 250, the organization coordinating this year's celebration of St. Louis' 250th birthday.

* NPR this week had a story about how one difficult night for Miles Davis and his mid-1960s quintet resulted in two classic albums.

* In more Davis-related news, the legendary trumpeter is one a number of entertainment and sports figures whose portraits are featured in "American Cool," a new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.

* Meanwhile, Miles Davis Online's Jeff Hyatt takes another look at the official Davis website, and still finds room for improvement.

* Online retailer Sheet Music Plus is offering a 20% discount on all Mel Bay products through next Tuesday, February 18. (When you use the link provided, StLJN gets a small commission on the sale.)

* Jazz radio update:  On this Saturday's episode of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson spotlights contemporary jazz musicians based in New York City, including trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, violinist Jenny Scheinman and the trio Dawn of Midi.

Right after that, Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective," will feature a musical menu including tracks by Down To The Bone, Average White Band, Brian Bromberg, Cindy Bradley, Jeremy Davenport, Miles Davis, Al Caldwell, Tracy Heaston, Robert Silverman, and Dawn Weber.

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.      

(Edited after posting.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Sax and clarinet makers P. Mauriat have put on YouTube a brief new interview with St. Louis native Greg Osby, who endorses a signature line of horns for the company. 

* A Chicago blogger wonders if our town's Vintage Vinyl is the best record store on Earth. 

* Singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran was featured in a St. Louis Beacon story by Terry Perkins.

* Saxophonist Eric Person's big band gig last month at NYC's Jazz Standard was reviewed in the December issue of the New York City Jazz Record by Russ Musto, who found the leader's work "inventive" and said the group "had a supple airy sound not often heard in a big band." You can download the mag for free in .pdf format here.

* The Culture Blog at Esquire magazine's series about classic album covers looks at Miles Davis' landmark album Bitches Brew.

* Meanwhile, The Atlantic has a short feature about Never My Love, a new CD box set collecting the work of singer/songwriter, keyboardist, and St. Louis native Donny Hathaway (pictured). For additional  perspectives, the set was the subject of a feature story here by the Philadephia Daily News' Mister Mann Frisby, and reviewed here by Wax Poetics' Eric Luecking.

* KTRS' John Carney has put online an audio file of his recent interview with Jessica Hentoff about The Pleasures of Being Out of Step, the film biography of her dad, jazz critic Nat Hentoff, that was screened last month at the St. Louis International Film Festival.

* Evangeline's Bistro and Music Hall, a new eating and drinking spot in the Central West End promising live jazz and blues several night a week, will celebrate its grand opening tonight. Located at 512 N. Euclid (the corner of Euclid and Washington, Evangeline's will feature Creole and Cajun-style cuisine, with music for the opening festivities provided by guitarist John Farrar and Park Avenue Jazz.

* Jazz radio update: On this week's "Somethin' Else" program on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, host Calvin Wilson features standard tunes composed by jazz musicians, performed by saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, pianist Marcus Roberts, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and more. 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.

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:

* In case you were wondering, last Saturday's National Record Store Day once again led to a big increase in sales at independent music stores across the nation, according to this article in USA Today.

Here in St. Louis, several local music retailers celebrated the day with live bands, guest DJs, giveaways of merchandise and beer, and more. Vintage Vinyl, where yr. humble StLJN editor took over the sound system for an hour-long, late-afternoon DJ set, has uploaded to Facebook a photo album documenting the festivities, while Euclid Records has put a compilation of video clips on YouTube.

* Speaking of Euclid Records, as soon as the doors closed on RSD 2013, employees there began packing for the store's move to a new location about a mile west at 19 N. Gore in Webster Groves, where they're scheduled to reopen on May 1. You can see a photo album documenting the move here, and a video of the store's new sign going up here.

* The fourth part of Dennis Owsley's audio documentary about the history of St. Louis jazz is set to air on KWMU's Jazz Unlimited at 9:00 p.m. this Sunday. This installment covers the 1950s, and you can get a preview and see photos and other supplemental content here.

* Singer Bobby McFerrin was in town last night to perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall's annual benefit gala, and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson has a review of the show here. While he was here, McFerrin also was interviewed on KWMU. You can see a photo album of the Sheldon's preparations for the big fund-raiser here.

* Speaking of radio interviews, Alarm Will Sound's artistic director and conductor Alan Pierson was interviewed Sunday on KMOX radio about the band's performance of 1969 tonight at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Pierson also is scheduled to appear today on KWMU's Cityscape program.

* And in our final radio reference for the day, Radio Arts Foundation general manager Jim Connett talked about the new classical station in an interview with local NBC affiliate KSDK.

* Drummer and former St. Louisan Kim Thompson (pictured) has released a new album entitled Red Glory, now available for listening and downloading via her Bandcamp page. It's essentially a hip-hop and R&B release showcasing Thompson's production and writing, though the lone instrumental "Cairo Brazil" does provide a dash of South American-flavored funk. For more of Thompson, check out this video of her recent visit to LP Percussion, in which she tries out a new hybrid drum set/percussion rig.

* Lastly, if you're curious about what to expect when actress-turned-singer Molly Ringwald takes the stage on May 14 and 15 at Jazz at the Bistro, check out this review of her new album from the Associated Press, this review of her recent performance in Minneapolis, and this feature in Jazz Times magazine.