So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo (pictured) gave St. Louis Post-Dispatch readers a look into her living space in a recent feature in the paper's "At Home" series

* Saxophonist Greg Osby was interviewed by JazzFuel.com.

* Drummer Rob Silverman was one of the guests on last week's Modern Drummer Magazine video podcast.

* Radio station WSIE, headquartered on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, recently reached the milestone of 50 years on the air, and trumpeter Jim Manley has written and recorded a new tune, "Blasting the Airwaves (50 Years of WSIE)," to commemorate the occasion.

* Singer Erika Johnson is hosting a new podcast, "My Black Auntie (MBA)," presenting what she calls "an educated Black woman's perspective with sass and class."

* The Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement, the new documentary that will get its local premiere next month at the St. Louis International Film Festival, was the subject of a feature story by the St. Louis American's Chris King.

* Pianist, singer and St. Louis native John McDaniel was home this past Sunday to do a performance and webcast from Blue Strawberry, and KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi reviewed the show.

* Miles Davis may have been known for "cooking" on the bandstand, but the trumpeter was no stranger to the kitchen either, according to the latest episode of Jazziz magazine's "Miles Monday" podcast, which features Davis' nephew, drummer and producer Vince Wilburn Jr. and "rising-star jazz musicians and culinary media personalities" Adeev and Ezra Potash.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis magazine has published their annual "A List" of local attractions, organizations, people, and events, and the names of at least a couple of the winners will be familiar to StLJN readers.

The Red and Black Brass Band was mentioned for "Best Use of Brass," while Blue Strawberry was named "Best New Storytelling Venue." You can see a list of all the winners here.

* The current fund-raising efforts of radio station WSIE are the subject of a feature story from the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill. Thanks in large part to budget cuts by the state of Illinois, WSIE must raise a total of $100,000 by the end of this month or the station may go off the air permanently.

* Job’s Trials: A Jazz Song Cycle, the latest recording from bassist and St. Louis native Dan Loomis, was reviewed by the UK magazine Jazz Journal.

* Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina (pictured) talked about what she's been doing during lockdown and discussed a couple of upcoming livestream performances in an interview with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Jazz in St. Louis has gotten some attention from NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center recently, as last week JALC published a Spotify playlist of St. Louis jazz (accompanied by a short and rather sketchy history of our local scene) as part of a series called "City Soundscapes."

That was followed this week by a St. Louis-themed installment of "On the Road with Riley," an online video series featuring trumpeter Riley Mulkerhar that purports to take "viewers on a virtual road trip...to see how various #jazz scenes around the U.S. are coping with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis." The video features a brief chat with pianist Adam Maness and a streamed performance of "St. Louis Blues" by Mulherkar, Maness, bassist Bob DeBoo, and drummer Kaleb Kirby.

* Dr. Dorothy Steward, the mother of businessman, philanthropist and Jazz St. Louis board member David Steward and one of the namesakes of JSL's headquarters, the Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, has died at age 92.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Citing losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwardsville-based radio station WSIE (88.7 FM) has launched a campaign raising money to stay on the air.

With no financial support from the state of Illinois since 2018, the not-for-profit station needs to raise approximately $100,000 before June 30 to cover losses from this fiscal year. To find out more or make a donation, go to https://www.siue.edu/wsie/support/.

* A recent performance by the Red and Black Brass Band on the streets of the Central West End was documented on video by STLtoday.com.

* Pianist and St. Louis native Tom McDermott has recorded another video for actor and author Harry Shearer's "Piano New Orleans" web series.

* St. Louis' Euclid Records is the latest music retailer to be featured in the "Record Store Spotlight" on the website of blues label Fat Possum.

* HEC-TV has posted online a feature about saxophonist's Tim Warfield run earlier this year at Jazz St. Louis, titled "A Night In The Life Of A Jazz Artist."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* In conjunction with the release earlier this year of the Miles Davis set The Complete Birth Of The Cool, UDiscoverMusic.com gathered a panel in Los Angeles for a discussion of the album's impact, legacy and lasting influence; working with the master tapes to produce the new reissue; and Davis' fight for African-American rights. You can hear highlights from the discussion here.

* Drummer Dave Weckl (pictured), who was back home here last month to play at rthe Chesterfield Jazz & Wine Festival, has added a new 2.5 hour drum recording course to his online school at daveweckl.teachable.com.

* Radio station WSIE and its general manager Jason Church were the subjects of a feature story in the Alton-area news site Riverbender.com

* Saxophonist Carlos Brown Jr. was interviewed about his gig this weekend at Jazz St. Louis by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson. (Link is paywalled.)

 * As reported by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn, multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo is one of three local musicians featured in Nature of Sound, a new short film produced and directed by St. Louisan Jon Alexander.

* Nearly a decade after ending their first attempt at podcasting, Jazz St. Louis is trying again with a podcast called "Jazz Happens," with production outsourced to Konfluenz Studios, a St. Louis based company that produces several other podcasts, none music-related.

Unfortunately, while the format is on point - interviews with touring musicians who are in town to play gigs at the Bistro - and the production values are solid enough, the podcast's hosts* seem to know very little about jazz, or even the basics of how to conduct an interview. Even worse, they seem to have done very little to no research about their subjects.

The results, as sampled in brief snippets of various episodes by yr. humble editor, range from insipid to awkward to downright cringeworthy, as in the interview with Anat Cohen, which begins with one of hosts asking her if she still lives in Tel Aviv (her hometown).

Cohen, clearly not amused, replied that, no, she's lived in the USA for more than 20 years - a fact both essential to her current career, since it was her move here in 1996 to study at Berklee that set up her subsequent accomplishments, and easily gleaned from the bio on her website, most of the interviews and feature stories published about her, or her Wikipedia page.

To sum up, while StLJN's journalistic mission compels us to inform you of this podcast's existence, it is not recommended that you listen to it. If you must, the eight episodes produced to date are archived on the Jazz St. Louis website.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The University of Missouri-St. Louis Department of Music and the David and Thelma Steward Institute for Jazz Studies at UMSL have named pianist and educator Adaron "Pops" Jackson as the university's new director of jazz studies. Jackson succeeds the program's founder, bassist Jim Widner, who retired at the end of the 2018-19 academic year.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn was interviewed by John Carney on Monday's episode of "The Carney Show" on KTRS (550 AM).

* Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo (pictured) was interviewed about her new album St. Lost by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson. Saputo is promoting the release with a performance tonight at Sophie's Artist Lounge and Cocktail Club. St. Lost this week also was the subject of a short promotional feature on BassMagazine.com

* Inventor and audio engineer Bob Heil was profiled in a story by KSDK's Art Holliday.

* WSIE (88.7FM) will celebrate Miles Davis' birthday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. this Sunday, May 26 with a two-hour special about his life and music. Listeners outside the St. Louis area can catch the program via the station's online stream.

* The Black Rep's production of Nina Simone: Four Women was reviewed by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn. The play with music, which includes singer Denise Thimes in the cast, continues through Sunday, June 2 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre.

* Vaughn also filed a story for the American about the funeral service for Shirley Bradley LeFlore, former St. Louis poet laureate who worked with many jazz and creative musicians.

* Pianist Phillip Graves will play the title role in Next to Normal: The Thelonious Monk Story, a play by Mariah L Richardson that will be performed at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 12 and Thursday, June 13 at Jazz St. Louis.

The production, which is presented by A Call to Conscience, Inc. and directed by Fannie Belle Lebbie, will celebrate Monk's music and career while also examining "issues of mental illness as it relates to disparities in health care, police interaction, education, and social acceptance."

The performance on June 12 will be followed by a talk and Q&A about Monk led by Washington University professor Gerald Early, and a panel discussion on living with and overcoming the challenges posed by mental illness. Admission to both performances is free, but RSVPs are requested via EventBrite.

* Remember the lawsuit filed by seemingly-defunct-music-festival LouFest against their former sound contractors? Well, per new reporting on Thursday by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin, the suit has been dropped.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis will raise scholarship money for college-bound local music students with “Swing For The Scholars,” an event at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, May 5 at JSL's HQ, aka the Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz.

Musical entertainment for the evening will include the Adam Maness Trio, the Route 66 Alumni Band, Good 4 The Soul, singer Anita Jackson, and students from the organization's JazzU program.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLToday.com this week published their annual "Go List," and the staff picks in the "Music" section included a nod to singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo for "Best Shout-Out," referencing the inclusion of her song "Historia De Un Amor" on President Barack Obama's 2018 list of favorite songs.

In the reader's poll section of the "Go List," BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups won both "Favorite place to hear jazz" and "Favorite place to hear the blues."

* Drummer Dave Weckl is offering a free two-and-a-half-hour DVD, "Flies On The Studio Wall," to new subscribers to his Dave Weckl Online School who sign up before May 1.

* Prompted by the 60th anniversary of the original recording sessions for the album, writer Eric Schewe of JStor Daily looks at "Why Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue” Is So Beloved."

* Pianist Peter Martin's "Ask Me Anything" session that was webcast last Friday via the Open Studios Facebook page has been posted to YouTube.

* Singer and East St. Louis native Phil Perry (pictured) will be inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Saturday, June 23 in Detroit. Perry's fellow inductees this year will include Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ray Parker, Jr., Stephanie Mills, and more.

* And speaking of halls of fame, public voting for new members of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame is open until 11:59 p.m. this coming Monday, April 29. The 2019 nominees include Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Kenny Clarke, Roy Haynes, Freddie Hubbard, Arturo “Chico” O’Farrill, Cecil Taylor, Frank Trumbauer, Dinah Washington, Chick Webb, and Teddy Wilson.

* General manager Jason Church's efforts to put radio station WSIE on firmer financial footing are the subject of a story in the SIU Edwardsville campus newspaper The Alestle.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was among the featured performers at "A Great Night in Harlem," held recently at the Apollo Theater to honor singers Harry Belafonte and Tony Bennett and to raise funds for the Jazz Foundation of America. DownBeat's article about the evening includes a quote from Harrold, who, along with fellow trumpeter Wallace Roney, performed "Grazing In The Grass" as a tribute to the late Hugh Masekela.

* Harrold also has been tapped as a member of New Masters, “a rotating ensemble of today’s leading, up-and-coming and established jazz musicians” assembled by Sony Music Masterworks to record jazz interpretations of contemporary hits "originally performed by the likes of Cardi B, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA."

The group, which also includes pianist Sullivan Fortner, drummer Eric Harland, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, bassist Burniss Earl Travis, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and percussionist Bashiri Johnson, will release their debut album ReWORKS Volume 1 on Friday, July 12.

* "Why Jazz Still Matters" is the title of an article in the spring 2019 issue of Daedalus magazine co-authored by Washington University professor Gerald Early with Ingrid Monson, professor of African American Music at Harvard University.

* Seven musicians who worked with Miles Davis during the trumpeter's electric period, including bassist Michael Henderson, saxophonists Dave Liebman and Gary Bartz, and drummer Lenny White, talked about their experiences at a Jazz Congress conference panel this past January in NYC, which now has been transcribed for an article in Jazz Times.

* In more Davis news, the trumpeter's landmark album Birth of the Cool will be re-released in a deluxe 70th anniversary edition (pictured) on Friday, May 17. The vinyl and digital set will include the complete studio and live recordings made in 1949-50 by Davis' nine-piece ensemble.

* Lastly, in a story published on April 1 by the Alton-area weekly Riverbender, Davis' ghost is credited with saving the lives of three area residents in separate incidents.

* Trumpeter Clark Terry's mentoring of young musicians, particularly pianist Justin Kauflin, is the subject of a recent article in Vail Daily.

* In an article in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, vibraphonist Lee Roth credits the sounds of radio station WSIE with helping him recover from recent brain surgery.

* Jazz St. Louis, The Dark Room and Broadway Oyster Bar are among the spots mentioned in a Post-Dispatch feature about local venues offering "dinner and a show."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries has named Peter Palermo as its new executive director, replacing Paul Reuter, who retires next year. Palermo comes to the Sheldon from the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts at McKendree University in Lebanon, IL.

* Author, poet and Miles Davis biographer Quincy Troupe will speak and sign copies of his new book Miles & Me (pictured) on Sunday, November 4 at Left Bank Books.

* Pianist and St. Louis native Dred Scott's new album Rides Alone was reviewed by LucidCulture.com.

* As part of the BRIC Jazz Festival in NYC, trumpeter Keyon Harrold this week took part in a panel discussion about the evolution of jazz with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, guitarist and singer Camila Meza, and journalist Nate Chinen. Video of the discussion is said to be forthcoming...

* And speaking of panel discussions, on Wednesday, November 7 the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles will host "a special listening experience and discussion of the new box set Miles Davis & John Coltrane—the Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6." The panel will include Coltrane's daughter Miki Coltrane, Miles' son Erin Davis and nephew Vince Wilburn, Jr, and Steve Berkowitz, who produced the box set.

* Radio station WSIE and Trusty Chords Record Shop in Edwardsville are teaming up to put together an endcap display in the store featuring local and regional music played on the station. If you're a musician or indie label with a recent or upcoming release and would like to be considered for inclusion, contact WSIE general manager Jason Church at jaschur@siue.edu.

* Lastly, if you've ever wondered what the various venues in the Grand Center Arts District would look like if they were recorded on video in a time-lapse style, with the resulting footage then set to an EDM soundtrack to make a two-and-a-half minute music video, wonder no more.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Due to the state's ongoing budget crisis, radio station WSIE has lost all funding from the state of Illinois, and is seeking donations from individuals as well as underwriting support from local businesses.

New general manager Jason Church tells StLJN that additional fund-raising efforts are in the works, but anyone who'd like to make a contribution right now can do so here.

* Speaking of raising money, Radio Arts Foundation will present a fundraising event called "An Evening of Wine and Jazz Under The Stars," featuring live music from Miss Jubilee, on Friday, September 14 at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Faust Park in Chesterfield.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is the featured guest on the latest episode of WBGO's "The Checkout," which also airs on various NPR affiliates around the country.

* On a related note, Harrold's "Wayfaring Traveler," from his most recent album The Mugician, was Jazziz magazine's "Song of the Day" on Wednesday.

* Jazz Times has put online the cover story from their August issue about guitarist and St. Louis native Grant Green.

* Veteran St. Louis trumpeter and arranger Frank Goessler Jr. has died. He was 63 years old and lived in St. Charles. Goessler was a long-time member of the Bob Kuban Band who taught music at several local schools, most recently Academy of Sacred Heart and St. Monica School.

A graduate of what's now known as Berklee College of Music, Goessler also performed with and wrote charts for the Sessions Big Band, St. Louis Jazz Orchestra (aka Jim Widner Big Band), the Dave Dickey Big Band, and others. Visitation will be from noon to 4:00 p.m. this Sunday, August 5 at Baue Funeral and Memorial Center in St. Charles, with a funeral service scheduled at 4:00 p.m. Sunday in the Baue chapel.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist Adam Maness' trio is profiled as another of the Riverfront Times' "STL 77" for 2018.

* WSIE 88.7 FM "The Sound" will have a new boss as of next Monday, May 21, as Jason Church is leaving his job as news director at talk radio station KFTK-FM to become the new general manager of WSIE, which is based on the campus of SIU Edwardsville.

Church has been involved in various jazz radio ventures in St. Louis for more than a decade, including doing on-air and program development work at smooth jazz station WSSM, internet radio station The Oasis, and Hip 96.3 HD-3; and hosting Radio Arts Foundation's "The Jazz Collective" on Saturday nights, a job he'll continue along with his new duties at WSIE.

* The Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis are accepting applications from individuals who would like to serve next season on their board of directors. Board members plan and lead the group's various activities and events to support the mission of Jazz St. Louis.

For more information, go to http://www.jazzstl.org/support/young-friends, or email youngfriends@jazzstl.org for an application.

* Pianist and St. Louis native Lawrence Fields (pictured) can be seen with the band Sound Prints, co-led by trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist Joe Lovano, in a new video of Wayne Shorter's composition "Juju," recorded earlier this month at New Morning in Paris.

* Pianist Peter Martin has posted to Facebook a video of a full set from his shows with bassist Chris Thomas and drummer Brian Blade two weekends ago at Jazz St. Louis. (The music starts at approximately 17:40 into the video, which is an unedited recording of a live stream from that night.)

* Saxophonist Eric Person has posted to YouTube a video clip of "Juicy Lucy," recorded during his team-up with fellow saxophonist Houston Person in March 2017 at Dizzy's in NYC.

* Also just up on YouTube, the STL Free Jazz Collective's complete first set from last Saturday's performance at the 14th St. Artists Community.

* The latest dispatch from the St. Louis American's Delores Shante offers her impressions of a recent performance by singer Anita Jackson at The Dark Room.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday has put online a gallery of photos from singer Denise Thimes' Mothers' Day show at the Touhill. 

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard talked about his new album Live and his gig this Sunday at the Grandel Theatre for a story by the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* A new effort aimed at restoring Miles Davis' childhood home in East St. Louis for use as a museum was the subject of feature stories on St. Louis Public Radio and in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday.com.

The restoration is the work of the not-for-profit organization House of Miles East St. Louis (HOME), which also plans to use the building (pictured, in a recent photo and in an artist's rendering of the finished project) for music education activities and as an event space for rent. They've started a crowd-funding campaign with a goal of raising $50,000 toward the costs of the renovations; as of this writing, 21 days in, they've collected $255 in pledges.

* Speaking of Miles Davis, the trumpeter's version of "My Funny Valentine" was among the tracks included on President Barack Obama's personal summer playlist, as released this week by the White House.

* And speaking of fundraising efforts, the Belleville News-Democrat has a feature story about the latest attempts to raise the $150,000 needed to make radio station WSIE self-sustaining within the next 18 months. The station, which broadcasts a mix of jazz, blues and R&B plus university news and sports from the campus of SIU Edwardsville, will lose funding from the state of Illinois after 2017 due to budget cuts.

* Drummer and songwriter Kevin Bowers' new album Nova was the subject of a brief feature story by Christian Schaeffer of the Riverfront Times.

* King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era, a newly revised biography of the famed pianist and composer, was reviewed by the journal The American Interest..

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The June issue of the NYC Jazz Record (note: PDF) includes a cover story on trumpeter and St. Louis native Lester Bowie.

* The ongoing financial woes of radio station WSIE are the subject of a feature story by Sandra Jordan of the St. Louis American.

* Bimhuis Radio has posted to Mixcloud some audio from a recent concert featuring saxophonist Greg Osby in Amsterdam with his protege and fellow saxophonist Tineka Postma.

* The Riverfront Times this week published profiles of the nominees in the jazz category of this year's RFT Music Awards.

* The St. Louis Gypsy Jazz Festival, organized by members of the band Franglais, announced that the 2016 edition of their event will be held October 21 through October 23 at Evangeline's, with further details TBA.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Kimberly Thompson was interviewed for a recent feature on the website of drum manufacturer Gretsch. Thompson's latest album (pictured) is called Treasures Abound, and is on sale now via CD Baby,  iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake is gigging this weekend with drummer Billy Hart's "Enhance" ensemble at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival in California. In addition to Lake and Hart, the all-star band includes trumpeter Eddie Henderson, saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Craig Taborn, and bassist Dave Holland.

* Meanwhile, trumpeter and St. Louis native Keyon Harrold is in Chicago this weekend, headlining the Four Star Music Festival at the Goose Island Barrel Warehouse.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The 20th anniversary edition of singer Denise Thimes' (pictured) Mother's Day show, which has moved this year to the Touhill Performing Arts Center, was previewed in feature stories by Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American and Kevin Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and in an interview on St. Louis Public Radio. 

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap wrote about Don Cheadle's Miles Ahead and Born to Be Blue, the recently released feature film about trumpeter Chet Baker, in an essay for Washington University's Common Reader.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold will pay tribute to Miles Davis with three nights of shows from Friday, May 13 through Sunday, May 15 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center complex. The gigs, marking 90 years since Davis' birth, will feature an all-star cast including saxophonists and former Davis sidemen Gary Bartz and David Liebman; drummer Chris Dave and bassist Derrick Hodge, from Robert Glasper's band; St. Louis native Shedrick Mitchell on keyboards; and more.

* Harrold and his brother Emanuel Harrold, the drummer in singer Gregory Porter's band, also pulled off a near-simultaneous dual-sibling appearance on two national TV networks this week, as on Wednesday night Keyon performed with singer Maxwell on CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, while Emanuel was playing with Porter on PBS' The Tavis Smiley Show.

* A story published this week by St. Louis Public Radio says that radio station WSIE, doubly pressed for cash by a preexisting need for additional funding plus recent budget cuts to Illinois universities, will add blues music to its playlist in an attempt to broaden its appeal and become self-sustaining.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network today rolled out "Brazilian Jazz Guitar," a new premium online course taught by guitarist Romero Lubambo.

* The recently announced "arts incubator" at 3224 Locust in the Grand Center district is seeking tenants now in anticipation of its opening in January of next year.

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:

* 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:

* Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, in town to play a benefit for the family of the late pianist Ray Kennedy on Saturday at the Sheldon, was interviewed about the performance on KWMU's "CityScape" program.

* DownBeat magazine's 80th annual Reader's Poll is open for voting, and you can cast your ballot here.

* Drummer Dave Weckl (pictured) has recorded a new demo video for Sabian's "HHX Evolution Performance Cymbal Pack," which can be seen online here.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band took a road trip this past weekend to play a gig in Boyne City, MI, and they've posted on Facebook a photo album of the journey

* Also on Facebook, an album of pictures from Sound Unlimited pianist John Pyatt's birthday celebration last Sunday at Candicci's.

* StLJN sends condolences to bassist Willem von Hombracht, whose wife Ira passed away earlier this month. A memorial celebration of Ira von Hombracht's life is planned for Sunday, August 2 upstairs at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Applications for Regional Arts Commission's 2016 Artists' Fellowships are due on Friday, August 7.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will feature the music of pianist Robert Glasper, including tracks from his new trio album, Covered. You can listen over the air on 107.3 FM, on HD radio at 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then on Sunday, and a bit to the left on your radio dial, bassist Darrell Mixon will be the featured guest this week on WSIE's "Jazz Talk". The program can be heard from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sundays over the air on 88.7 FM and online.

Sunday night on KWMU/St. Louis Public Radio, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program will feature music recorded for labels run by the late jazz impresario Norman Granz. Starting in 1957, Granz founded labels including Clef, Norgran, Down Home, Verve and Pablo, and recorded important jazz musicians including Oscar Peterson, Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Jazz at the Philharmonic, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Kenny Barron, Charlie Parker, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Clark Terry, and more. The program can be heard from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays over the air at 90.7 FM and online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis has planted a Rose outside their box office, as a photo of the late Barbara Rose (pictured) has been hung there for all visitors to JSL's recently renovated headquarters to see.

Rose, who started the "Just Jazz" series at the Majestic Hotel that eventually became Jazz at the Bistro and subsequently led to the incorporation of Jazz St. Louis, was celebrated along with JSL's other founders at a luncheon held Tuesday at the Bistro. You can see more pictures from the "Founder's Day" event on Jazz St. Louis' Facebook page.

* Speaking of Jazz St. Louis, they're looking to hire additional employees, including a new box office manager, events manager, and marketing/public relations intern. To find out more about the available positions, visit the Jazz St. Louis website.

* And speaking of opportunities, the Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival once again this year will sponsor "Old Webster's Got Talent," a battle of the bands leading to a chance to perform at this year's OWJBF on Saturday, September 19.

In a change from past years, just four acts will be selected to take part in a winner-take-all contest, which will take place on Thursday, September 3 at the Ozark Theater in Webster Groves. To be considered, bands and musicians should send MP3 samples of their music to Terry Perkins at webstersgottalent@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, August 15. 

* Multi-instrumentalist and DJ Lamar Harris was interviewed by Katelyn Mae Petrin of KDHX.

* Saxophonist Eric Person has posted on Facebook a photo album from his performance at last Saturday's Chesterfield Jazz Festival

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake has created another promotional video now posted on YouTube, offering "an up-close and personal look" at his visual artwork.

* St. Louis magazine's annual "A-List Awards" issue came out this week, and among the awards for arts and entertainment, the renovated and renamed Ferring Jazz Bistro won for "New Music Venue," and Alarm Will Sound won in the "Concert" category for their premiere performance of John Luther Adams' Ten Thousand Birds last October at the Public Media Commons.

The award for "Music Accolade" went to the St. Louis Symphony for winning a Grammy for their album City Noir, while the actual "Album" award went to faux-rustic revivalist Pokey Lafarge for Something in the Water.

* St. Louis based sound and lighting contractor Logic Systems has acquired the road-case manufacturers Barry Products, Inc, Barry Cases, and affordable-cases.com. The Barry and Affordable Case lines of instrument and equipment cases will be added to subsidiary company St. Louis Case's existing lines of custom ATA cases and racks.

* Jazz radio update: WSIE (88.1 FM) has launched an IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for a new transmitter. The station currently is broadcasting from a transmitter that's more than 30 years old and showing signs of wear.

In an email announcing the campaign, station manager Greg Conroy noted that even obtaining replacement parts is getting more difficult and expensive, adding urgency to a fundraising effort which has been ongoing for some time now. (A previous crowd-funding campaign was pulled due to a conflict with Southern Illinois University regulations, but apparently that's been sorted out.)

Listeners who would like to contribute to keep WSIE on the air can find out more about the campaign and donate online here.

Elsewhere on the radio dial, this Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program “Somethin’ Else” will be an encore presentation of a 2013 episode paying tribute to Duke Ellington.
The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays 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 latest episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz with Don Wolff premieres this Sunday, February 8, and features the jazz studies program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The show also looks in on the recording of pianist Phil Dunlap's debut CD, and includes vintage video spotlighting the late alto saxophonist and clarinetist LeRoy Harris.

I Love Jazz can be seen on Charter channel 989 and AT&T U-verse 99 at noon on Wednesdays; 8:00 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays; and 4:00 p.m. Fridays. (For other TV providers, check your program guide.) You also can watch episodes, including the latest one, online at the HEC-TV website, or download them for free from the "Beyond University" section of iTunes U.

* Pianist Peter Martin's performance with guitarist Romero Lubambo last week at South on Main in Little Rock was reviewed by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and also documented in a photo set posted to Facebook.

* Martin also will provide the music for the "Eleventh Annual Evening of Hope," a benefit for the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine to be held on Thursday, April 30 at the Sheldon. The evening includes cocktails, dinner, and the musical performance by Martin's trio and guest singer Brian Owens. For tickets or sponsorship information, call Hope Happens at 314-725-3888 or email them at info at hopehappens dot org.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake's latest album, a duet performance with bassist William Parker called To Roy, is out now on the Intakt label. The title is a dedication to the late trumpeter Roy Campbell, who died last January at age 61.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Andre "Dre Energy" Boyd has blogged about his experiences playing with Cirque du Soleil for Modern Drummer magazine.

* Videographer Chad Eivins of Chizmo.tv has posted online a video documenting last February's New Music Circle-sponsored concert by Joshua Abrams and; Natural Information Society at Joe's Cafe Gallery.

* You can get a close-up look at some of the unusual musical instruments from the Hartenberger World Music Collection recently donated to the Sheldon Art Galleries via a video posted online this week by the Riverfront Times. An exhibit featuring instruments from the collection opens tonight in conjunction with Grand Center's "First Friday" series of free gallery openings and events in the district.

* The Saxophone Museum at Saxquest has just acquired the original sample model bell for the Buescher 400 tenor saxophone, and Saxquest owner Mark Overton explains why it's "the coolest find of the year" in an article published on the shop's associated site Saxophone.org.

* Singer, actress, dancer and St. Louis native Josephine Baker (pictured) is just one of the black adventurers featured in a series of Black History Month illustrations recently created by comic artist Chris Schweizer. Baker, who spied for the resistance against the Germans in occupied France during World War II, is shown with her pet Chiquita the Cheetah.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's edition of Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will highlight music from composer Kurt Weill as performed by Michael Brecker, Nina Simone, Roy Hargrove, and more. The program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then on Sunday morning, WSIE's "Jazz Talk" will feature hosts Dick Ulett, Michael Silverman, and Rob Silverman chatting with drummer Ron Carr. The program airs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on 88.7 FM, and also can be streamed online from the station's website.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Clark Terry just got a birthday-week visit from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, who detoured between scheduled stops on their current trek through the southern USA to perform for the legendary trumpeter at his bedside in a Little Rock hospital.

You can read JaLCO leader Wynton Marsalis' account of the visit here, and see more photos here. (In case you didn't know, Terry turns 94 on Sunday; StLJN will be paying tribute in this week's Saturday Video Showcase.)

* Speaking of photo albums, we've got links to several more today, starting with some shots from last week's New Music Circle concert featuring saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell and pianist Craig Taborn.

* Also from last week, the Dave Dickey Big Band has posted some pics to Facebook of their most recent gig at Jazz At the Bistro.

* Lastly, the Kevin Mitchell 4 is one of several local groups and musicians tapped during the holiday season to serenade Metrolink riders from inside their train car, and they've posted the photographic evidence on Facebook here.

* The Lindbergh High School jazz ensemble was featured on Fox 2's Thursday morning newscast. The band heads to Chicago next week to perform at the Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra and Music Conference, but first, they'll play for the hometown crowd in a free preview concert at 7;00 p.m. this coming Monday, December 15 at Lindbergh HS, 5000 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

* The recently rediscovered recording of singer and East St. Louisan Leon Thomas performing with the British jazz-fusion group Nucleus at the 1970 Montreux Jazz Festival has been reviewed again for AllAboutJazz.com, this time by AAJ's Bruce Lindsay.

* And speaking of "recently rediscovered," a 43-minute video of St. Louis-born guitarist Grant Green playing live in 1969 in Paris has been made available online as a paid download. (A copy of the show briefly posted to YouTube was removed after a take-down notice from Green's son.)

Given that up until now, any video of Green (pictured) has been scarcer than the proverbial hen's teeth, it's certainly a welcome find, though $19.99 for a download - no packaging, no extra materials, just a video file - seems a bit steep, even for something of this relative rarity.

* John Fornaszewski, longtime owner of Fornaszewski Music in Granite City, drummer, and father of drummer and bandleader Stan Fornaszewski, died this past Saturday at age 74 after suffering a heart attack. Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues...

* Jazz radio update: WSIE (88.7 FM) aka "The Jazz Station" is conducting another fund-raising drive today, tomorrow and Sunday. You can tune in to the broadcast or check out the live online stream for details on pledge premiums, and to listen throughout the weekend for special guests, interviews and more.

Meanwhile, this Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” program will feature the songs of Harold Arlen (composer of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," "Blues In The Night," and many more jazz and pop standards) as interpreted by Nicholas Payton, Max Roach, Dominique Eade, and others.

Right after that, Jason Church's The Jazz Collective will be in a holiday mood with season sounds from Harry Connick, Jr., Lynne Fiddmont, Candy Dulfer, Dave Koz, Vibraphonic, Manhattan Transfer, Mindi Abair, Al Hammerman, Dawn Weber, Funky Butt Brass Band, Jim Manley, and more.

Wilson's program can be heard at 8:00 p.m., 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:

* Guitarist Mary Halvorson was interviewed for an article on the New Music Circle website. NMC is presenting Thumbscrew, featuring Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, in concert tonight at Joe's Cafe.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has sold his NYC townhouse for $11 million. The property has been on the market since 2009 as part of a reported effort by Sanborn to downsize to slightly more modest quarters.

* Pianist and St. Louis expat Linda Presgrave (pictured) and her husband, saxophonist Stan Chovnick, have posted online a video of their duo concert recorded last week at Michiko Studios in NYC. The complete show can be seen for free until October 5.

* The reissue of composer/flute player Fred Tompkins' Fanfare 8: The Early Works was reviewed by blogger Grego Applegate Edwards of the blog Gapplegate Music Review, who called Tompkins "one of the greatest, if lesser known, of the so-called "third-stream" composers."

* Last weekend's LouFest set by Trombone Shorty was discussed in reviews of the event from the Riverfront Times and KDHX's Kevin Korinek.

* The Cherokee Street music and art venue Blank Space is expanding, as detailed in this story by the RFT's Joseph Hess.

* St. Louis Volunteer Attorneys and Accountants for the Arts and Missouri Arts Council have put online a video of their "Copyright Basics" workshop.

* The St. Louis swing dance community this week is mourning the death of veteran dancer Tommy Russo, who passed away last week at age 98.

* As part of their 65th anniversary promotion, Prestige Records has released online a short video interview with producer Ira Gitler, who describes what really happened during one of the Miles Davis sessions included among the label's recent reissues.

* Writing for the St. Louis American, James Ingram (not the singer, but rather a columnist for the paper) wonders why Don Cheadle couldn't have filmed his Miles Davis movie in East St. Louis rather than Cincinnati.

(Actually, I think I know the answer to this one. Presumably, one big reason is because ESL lacks sufficient locations that could double for NYC in the 1970s, which was cited as a key reason Cheadle chose Cincinnati. Ingram's essay mentions having room in ESL to construct sets and facades, but the modest budget of Miles Ahead would have precluded that option no matter where it was shot. The film also reportedly received tax incentives from the city and from the state of Ohio, which Illinois and/or ESL may have been unwilling or unable to match.)

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will feature tracks from saxophonist Sonny Rollins' recent series of “Road Shows” recordings. The program can be heard 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

A bit farther down the dial, this week's edition of "St. Louis Jazz Talk" at 11:00 a.m. Sunday on WSIE (88.7 FM) will feature an interview with drummer Steve Davis.