So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis music venues this week continued to adjust their admission policies to cope with the regional resurgence of COVID and proliferation of the Delta variant. As reported by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, Blue Strawberry made the first move, announcing that it would require patrons to provice proof of vaccination. The Pageant, Delmar Hall, and Off Broadway quickly followed by announcing that they too will require proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test for entry.

* Nine PBS on Tuesday presented the broadcast premiere of Show Me the Music: A Celebration of the Missouri Bicentennial, a special program featuring Missouri musicians that was recorded in May at The Sheldon.

The lineup of performers includes pianist Peter Martin and his trio plus saxophonist Bobby Watson and trumpeter Keyon Harrold; singer Anita Jackson (pictured); pianist Royce Martin; bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent; a faculty ensemble from the University of Missouri playing a new piece composed specifically for the bicentennial; and more. The special will air multiple times on all four PBS affiliates in the state, and also can be seen on YouTube.

* Miles Davis was known as a sharp dresser, so perhaps it's fitting that the late trumpeter's estate recently added licensed neckties to his online store. You can see the three available designs, including "Bitches Brew," that are available for $59.99 each at https://www.milesdavisstore.com/store/.

* Drummer, educator and U City native Ronnie Burrage now is co-hosting a weekly podcast produced by City Jazz Sessions, for which he already has interviewed St. Louis expats including Russell Gunn, Kelvyn Bell, and Eric Person, as well as musicians working here locally. New episodes are webcast at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and can been seen (along with all the previous episodes) on the City Jazz Sessions YouTube channel.

* Guitarist Charles "Chip" Katz, a four-decade veteran of the St. Louis music scene, passed away on Sunday, August 8. He was 63 years old; no cause of death has been disclosed.

Katz performed across the area as a solo act, with a trio, and as accompanist to singers Anita Rosamond, Alan Ox, and numerous others. He also taught guitar in private lessons and through local music stores including Fazio's Frets and Friends and McMurray Music. Katz is survived by two sisters, two nieces, and two nephews. Funeral services will be private, and the family has requested that any memorial contributions be made in Katz's name to the charity of the donor's choice.

David "Red" Lehr 1937 - 2021

Tuba and sousaphone player David "Red" Lehr, a mainstay of traditional jazz in St. Louis since the early 1960s, died Tuesday, January 5 at his home in New Athens, IL. He was 83 years old.

Lehr (pictured) first became known to local jazz fans in 1963, performing with Don Scherr’s Banjo Band in Gaslight Square. He formed his own group, the Old St. Louis Levee Band, in 1965 and worked regularly in the St. Louis area. Then in 1978, the group teamed up with pianist and singer Jean Kittrell, going on to perform on the Robert E. Lee riverboat in St. Louis for the next 13 years.

Known for his showmanship as well as his musical skills, Lehr also worked with Kittrell in the Jazz Incredibles trio (along with banjo player John Becker) and the St. Louis Rivermen. After Kittrell retired. Lehr took over leadership of the Rivermen, and also led his own group, the Powerhouse Five. Over the course of his long career, he performed at traditional jazz festivals all across the USA; toured in Europe, Canada, and Japan; and played on more than 25 recordings.

When not working as a musician, Lehr with his wife Carolyn ran Lehr’s Market in New Athens, passing on the business to his son Jeff upon retirement. Survivors in addition to his wife and son including a daughter, Lori (Thomas) Knapp of Smithton, IL; sisters Vera Robb of Belleville, IL and Fern Frick of Mt. Vernon, IL; three grandchildren; and various nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements will be handled by Kurrus Funeral Home in New Athens. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, January 8, 2021 and from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 9 at St. John UCC in New Athens. COVID-19 restrictions will be followed, with masks and social distancing required. Funeral services will be private, but will be live-streamed at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 9 at https://www.facebook.com/KurrusFH.

StLJN will present a tribute to David "Red" Lehr as this week's Saturday Video Showcase.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis-based luthier Chris Kroenlein and his K-Line Guitars were the subjects of a feature story in Guitar magazine.

* As part of the recent series of shows by Pink Floyd tribute act El Monstero, The Pageant, St. Louis-based sound and lighting contractor Logic Systems, and other vendors tested out new procedures and techniques for putting on shows with reduced COVID risk, and writer Kevin Mitchell reported on their efforts for the trade magazine Production Lighting and Sound News.

* Electronic musician and DIY promoter Josh Levi was the featured guest on the first episode of the new podcast "Dynanics Of."

* Saxophonist Greg Osby (pictured) in October did a live-streamed performance with pianist John Chin and bassist Lonnie Plaxico for the online Woodwind Fest 2020, which now has been archived on YouTube.

* Ending a year that already has seen more than the usual share of death and tragedy, St. Louis lost two more veterans of the local music scene in the latter half of December.

On Tuesday, December 15, cellist Tracy Andreotti died at age 55. She was the principal cellist for Union Avenue Opera and a founding member of the Vernacular String Trio, the Perihelion Trio, and the Trinity Piano Trio. Andreotti also performed with the St. Louis Philharmonic, the New City Chamber Orchestra, the Gateway Festival Orchestra, and various string quartets and chamber music groups, including a seven-year stint with the contemporary music ensemble Synchronia. In addition to playing notated music, she also was an improvisor, frequently performing in various events presented by New Music Circle and the Nu-Art Series, and collaborating with visual artists, dancers, poets, and many other musicians. No cause of death was disclosed; arrangements were handled privately by Hutchens Funeral Homes.

Then on Friday, December 25, pianist Charles Creath died at age 68 after what his St. Louis Post-Dispatch obituary called "a short illness." The grandson of famed 1920s and 30s multi-instrumentalist Charlie Creath, Creath played all sorts of music in his long career, but was best known for his work as musical director for the St. Louis Black Rep and as pianist and artistic director of touring group The Gospel People. Creath's passing also was noted by an obituary in the St. Louis American. Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* With no new relief from the government this fall for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic, St. Louis-area independent venues that are part of the Missouri Entertainment Alliance are asking music enthusiasts to contact Missouri legislators and urge them to provide industry-specific financial assistance at the state level.

Find more about the campaign and how to participate at https://www.missourientertainmentalliance.com/take-action.

* Singer Denise Thimes (pictured) led an online master class on "Interpretation of Performance Material" this past Tuesday for local students under the auspices of the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation. You can see the class on YouTube in three parts here, here and here.

* Rhythm City, a new recording from pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Larry Kornfeld and drummer Rob Silverman on the Autumn Hill label, was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Jim Worsley and by MakingAScene.org's Jim Hynes.

* St. Louis Post-Dispatch classical music critic Sarah Bryan Miller has died after a long battle with cancer. Miller was 68 years old and had been at the Post since 1999.

* A feature story in the latest issue of Jazz Times takes a look at Miles Davis' unreleased collaboration with singer-songwriter Prince.

* Also on the Miles Davis beat, Jo Gelbard, who was the trumpeter's "painting teacher, collaborator, and companion in the final seven years of his life" was interviewed about "The Paintings of Miles Davis" on the podcast "For Keeps."

* Bassist Jahmal Nichols talked about his new recording Black Frequencies in an interview with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Nine Network is reporting on social media that veteran St. Louis pianist and teacher Herb Drury has died. Drury was 92 years old, and was active on the local scene from the Gaslight Square era in the late 1950s into the early 2000s. You can see a profile of Drury from a 2008 episode of Nine's program Living St. Louis here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran was interviewed last week on an episode of "The Dale Wiley Show" podcast.

* In an effort to keep customers safe during the ongoing pandemic, musical instrumental retailer and repair shop Saxquest this year has reconfigured the fifth edition of their annual Musical Instrument Expo, which starts this Saturday, November 14 and continues through Thursday, December 24.

Instead of presenting a day-long event in meeting rooms at a local hotel, this year Saxquest is offering registered participants "isolated individual appointments" to try out instruments at their shop on Cherokee Street, with the added incentives of 5% to 20% discounts on "nearly all new instruments" and 0% financing options available for many instruments.

Appointments are free, and all participants are registered automatically for a door prize of $500 and other prizes. For more information, visit the Expo's Facebook page, or sign up online here.

* Multi-instrumentalist T.J. Müller (pictured) of traditional jazz band The Gaslight Squares is the host of a new program added to the schedule at community radio station KDHX. Müller's "The Riverboat Shuffle" features vintage jazz, blues, swing, and ragtime, and airs from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays.

* Red Flag, a new music venue from the owners of rock club Fubar that will hold up to 1,000 concertgoers, has had a soft opening on Locust St. in Midtown, as reported by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson. The Post also produced a short video showing the inside of the club.

* Citing lost revenue from shows canceled due to the pandemic, the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri - St. Louis, the main venue for the annual Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, has let go 14 full-time employees, including director John Cattanach. According to a story from St. Louis Public Radio's Chad Davis, the Touhill will keep three full-time staff members but now will be run by the university’s event services department.

* Saxophonist and East St. Louis native Amos Brewer has died. Brewer, who was 53 years old, passed away last Saturday, November 7; no cause of death has been disclosed. A bluesy stylist in the R&B-flavored tradition of Hank Crawford, Oliver Sain, and David Sanborn, he freelanced with various groups and musicians around town, and also was a member of the band at Friendly Temple Church, which has released a video in tribute to him.

Arrangements are through Layne Mortuary, and the funeral will take place Sunday, November 22 at Friendly Temple, with viewing at 3:00 p.m. and services at 4:00 p.m.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum 1928 - 2019

Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, a pianist, singer, and tenor saxophonist who was part of the St. Louis music scene from the late 1940s into the 21st century, has died. He was 91 years old.

News of Whalum's passing on Christmas day spread on social media via Facebook posts from Jeff Anderson, who played bass with Whalum for the last 20 years of his career, and Jay Brandt, former owner of Brandt's in University City, where Whalum played many gigs during the same period.

Although Whalum (pictured) had been a mainstay of the St. Louis scene for many years, he actually was born in Wilberforce, OH and raised mostly in Memphis, TN. He first played violin, cornet, and then trumpet as a child, performing with the YMCA band and with his brothers and father in a family group.

Whalum eventually made tenor sax his primary instrument while attending Central State University in Ohio, where he played with the Central State Collegians band, a group that performed at Carnegie Hall, sharing the stage with Woody Herman, Billy Eckstine, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald, and later was hired to back Eckstine.

After graduating from Central State with a degree in chemistry, Whalum toured with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton and relocated to St. Louis in September, 1949. During the 1950s, he formed his own trio here and also worked as a freelance saxophonist, gigging with touring musicians including Miles Davis and Ed Thigpen, and as part of the Jeeter-Pillars band, once playing behind Nat "King" Cole and his trio.

To be able to work as a solo performer, Whalum also began singing and playing piano, in the process finding the niche that would sustain his career for decades, as he played nightclubs, restaurants, hotel lounges, private parties, and more. A Riverfront Times article marking his selection as "Best Lounge Act" in the paper's 2006 "Best of of St. Louis" issue described him this way:

"As cool and smooth as the perfect martini, Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum has provided sophisticated musical entertainment for several generations of St. Louisans, starting in Gaslight Square and continuing into the present day. A fine tenor saxophonist as well as a pianist and singer, Whalum somehow manages to be both suave and down-home, charming audiences even as he educates them in the finer points of jazz and the Great American Songbook."

Despite being a popular and prolific live performer, Whalum didn't record as a headliner until 2006, when his nephew, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, helped him get a deal for an eponymous album released on Rendezvous Records and distributed internationally by Mack Avenue Records.

Around that same time, Whalum also was featured on some of his nephew's "Gospel According to Jazz" shows, and he continued to play around St. Louis until age-related health issues led him to wind down his performing career in the early 2010s.

Update, 7:30 a.m., 1/1/20: A wake for Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, January 3, at Archway Memorial Chapel, 111 Taylor Road in Hazelwood. A funeral Mass will take place at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 4, at St. Elizabeth Mother of John, 4330 Shreve Ave in St. Louis, MO, followed immediately by a repast at the church. Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 6 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Road in St. Louis.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Shirley Bradley LeFlore, St. Louis poet laureate and member of the Black Artists Group who performed throughout her career with the city's jazz and creative musicians, died this past Sunday, May 12. She was 79 years old.

Formerly married to the late trumpeter Floyd LeFlore, she performed and/or recorded at various times with musicians including her ex-husband, saxophonists Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett, J.D. Parran and Don Byron, pianist Ptah Williams, trumpeter George Sams, and more. Ms. Bradley LeFlore's funeral will take place today (Friday, May 17), with a visitation at 11:00 a.m. followed by services at noon at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St. downtown.

* Drummer Dave Weckl (pictured) was interviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Jim Worsley.

* Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo is releasing a new album, St. Lost, that comes out today, and was interviewed Monday about the recording and her career by KSDK's Art Holliday.

* The new documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool was the subject of a review/reminiscence by FYIMusicNews' Bill King.

* Speaking of Miles Davis, a 1979 interview with pianist Bill Evans unheard for 40 years has re-surfaced online, in which Evans discusses his work with Davis and the recording sessions for the trumpeter's landmark album Kind of Blue.

* And speaking of Birth of the Cool, an article in DownBeat has more details on the new LP box set Complete Birth of the Cool Sessions, which will be released on Friday, June 7.

* Multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris' shows this weekend at Jazz St. Louis are previewed in an article by Kevin Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and in an interview with Harris published 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:

* Michael Castro, the well-known St. Louis poet who was a member of the STL Free Jazz Collective and had a long history of collaborating with jazz and creative musicians, died last Sunday, December 23, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday and St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis American.

Castro (pictured second from right, with the Collective) recently had completed a term as St. Louis' first-ever poet laureate. He was 73 years old and had battled colon cancer for some time. Funeral arrangements are pending.

* Pianist and singer Harry Connick Jr's show last Thursday at the Stifel Theatre was reviewed for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Dan Durchholz. The Post's website STLtoday also published online an "iParty" gallery of photos of concert-goers.

* Vocal group Take 6's performance with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, also last Thursday, was reviewed by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn, and also was the subject of an STLtoday "iParty" gallery.

* Saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, who died in October, was the subject of a year-end remembrance in the Detroit Metro Times. Bluiett also was mentioned in NPR Music's tribute to musicians who died in 2018.

* The story behind "Blue Xmas," trumpeter Miles Davis' one-off holiday collaboration with the late singer, pianist, and songwriter Bob Dorough, was recounted in an article in the Anderson Valley Advertiser.

Richard Henderson 1932-2018

Richard Henderson, the well-known St. Louis jazz enthusiast who in 2017 was named a "Jazz Hero" by the Jazz Journalists Association, died on Saturday, December 15. He was 86 years old.

Henderson (pictured) was known for decades as a regular presence at jazz performances in St. Louis, a friend to local and visiting jazz players, and a mentor to students and up-and-coming jazz musicians.

In 1997, he was a co-founder of the not-for-profit organization Crusaders for Jazz, which presented jazz performances and also raised money for college scholarships for local music students, with recipients including now nationally prominent musicians such as trumpeter Keyon Herrold and drummer Kimberly Thompson.

Photographer and journalist Roscoe Crenshaw, a longtime friend of Henderson's, honored him with a remembrance in this week's St. Louis American, and Bob Bennett of Jazz St. Louis paid tribute with photos and a message about Henderson on Facebook.

A celebration of Richard Henderson’s life and “jazz jam service” will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. next Wednesday, December 26 at Randall Funeral Home, 4600 Natural Bridge Rd. in St. Louis.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Remembering Hamiet Bluiett

The jazz world and the St. Louis area both suffered a big loss last week with the death of Hamiet Bluiett, one of the greatest baritone saxophonists of all time and a co-founder of both the Black Artists Group and the World Saxophone Quartet.

While StLJN's obituary for Bluiett, published last week shortly after his death, covered the broad outline of Bluiett's career, there's much more to say, and media, fans, and fellow musicians have all paid tribute to the saxophonist in recent days.

Here in St. Louis, Bluiett's passing was noted by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis American.

Nationally and internationally, coverage included obits and/or tributes from the New York Times, NPR, Jazz Times, London Jazz News, and DownBeat - the latter penned by St. Louis' own Terry Perkins, who's preparing a more extensive article about Bluiett for an upcoming issue of the magazine.

In addition to the piece that aired on NPR, veteran jazz writer and radio host Gene Seymour wrote a tribute to Bluiett specifically for NYC public radio station WBGO.

Also, a number of musicians weighed in about Bluiett on social media and on their personal sites, including bassist Melvin Gibbs, with a good story about playing a blues gig early in his career with Bluiett; saxophonists Sam Newsome, Jaleel Shaw and Tony Kofi, bassists Dave Holland and Christian McBride, and guitarist Vernon Reid.

Perhaps the best way to remember Hamiet Bluiett, though, is through his music, and toward that end, StLJN has assembled some favorite online video clips of live performances featuring him, starting up above with a complete set of of the World Saxophone Quartet, recorded at near the height of their collective powers in 1987 at Jazzfest Berlin.

This is the original WSQ lineup, with Bluiett, Julius Hemphill (alto sax, soprano sax), Oliver Lake (alto sax, soprano sax) and David Murray (tenor sax), and the set contains several arrangements from their then-current album of arrangements of music by Duke Ellington.

After the jump, we leap back in time to July 1974, when Bluiett was part of Charles Mingus's band for a performance at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Todi, Italy.

The song is called "Flowers For A Lady," and after tenor saxophonist George Adams and pianist Don Pullen play their solos, at about the six-minute mark it's Bluiett's turn, and he comes in hard, shredding in the altissimo register while Mingus and drummer Dannie Richmond stoke the rhythm.

After that, there's a full concert of Bluiett's band Clarinet Family from 1984 in Berlin, featuring fellow St. Louisan J.D. Parran in the ensemble along with clarinetists Buddy Collette, Edward "Kidd" Jordan, John Purcell, Dwight Andrews, Don Byron, and bassist Fred Hopkins.

Next up is a video apparently shot in 2000 in Ghana, featuring Bluiett with some local players. There's not a whole lot of other information available about this clip, but Bluiett sounds good on it, and it's an interesting groove.

The fifth video documents a performance by Bluiett's Bio-Electric Ensemble in June 2013 as part of the Vision Festival at Roulette in New York City. Along with the leader, the group features Matthew Whittaker on electric keyboards, D.D. Jackson on piano, Harrison Bankhead on bass and Hamid Drake on drums.

That's followed by another set of music by Bluiett, Drake, and bassist William Parker, recorded in January 2016 in NYC.

Finally, you can view the profile of Bluiett done in 2008 by KETC's Living St. Louis program, and a nearly hour-long interview with Bluiett, conducted by saxophonist and latter-day WSQ member Bruce Williams in October 2016 at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Hamiet Bluiett 1940 - 2018

Hamiet Bluiett, a native of Brooklyn, IL who co-founded the World Saxophone Quartet and redefined the capabilities of the baritone sax in improvised music, died Thursday, October 4 at St. Louis University Hospital. He was 78 years old.

Bluiett, whose birthday was September 16, had been gravely ill for some time, and according to a Facebook post from his daughter Anaya, was taken off respiratory support last week.

As a child, Bluiett (pictured) studied piano, trumpet, and clarinet before settling on baritone saxophone at the age of ten. He played his first local gigs in Brooklyn, East St. Louis, and elsewhere as a teenager, and after graduating from high school, served in the Navy band starting in 1961.

Returning to St. Louis after his stint in the Navy, Bluiett helped found the Black Artists Group, leading the BAG big band for two years before the group split up and some members moved to Europe.

Bluiett moved to New York City in 1969, working with Charles Mingus, saxophonist Sam Rivers' big band, and others. Then in December 1976, he played what was supposed to have been a one-off concert in New Orleans with alto saxophonists and former BAG members Julius Hemphill and Oliver Lake and tenor saxophonist and clarinetist David Murray.

That led directly to the official founding in 1977 of the World Saxophone Quartet, which subsequently turned out to be a significant musical outlet for all four members, touring and performing at major festivals, concert halls and clubs all over the globe for the next 30 years.

With the WSQ and in other projects, Bluiett pushed the baritone sax beyond previously perceived limits, playing with speed, precision, range, and timbral variation rivaling that usually heard from the best alto and tenor players of his time. In mid-career, he also picked up the clarinet again and began incorporating it into some of his performances.

Further exploring the idea of groups of similar instruments playing together, Bluiett later formed the Bluiett Baritone Nation, made up entirely of baritone saxophones (plus a drummer), and Clarinet Family, a group of eight clarinetists playing clarinets of various sizes.

In all, Bluiett recorded more than 20 albums with the World Saxophone Quartet, plus nearly two dozen as a leader on labels including India Navigation, Black Saint, Soul Note, and Justin Time. He also recorded or performed with drummer Beaver Harris' 360 Degree Music Experience, saxophonist James Carter (a latter-day substitute member of WSQ, who Bluiett considered something of a protege), arranger and pianist Gil Evans, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, and numerous others.

Beset with back problems and other ailments, Bluiett moved back to Brooklyn in 2002, then returned to New York City in 2012 for several years, until a series of strokes starting in 2014 led him to move back to the Midwest once again a couple of years ago.

Bluiett in 2006 was the subject of a video profile from the KETC program Living St. Louis, which can be seen online here.

He is survived by two sons, Pierre Butler and Dennis Bland, and two daughters, Ayana Bluiett and Bridgett Vasquaz; a sister, Karen Ratliff; and eight grandchildren. Bluiett was married twice, with one marriage ending with the death of his wife and the other in divorce.

On a personal note, I had the chance to interview Hamiet Bluiett a couple of times, once for the short-lived "New Music St. Louis" program on KDHX in the mid-1990s, and again (briefly) for the Riverfront Times in 2006 before the WSQ played at what then was called Jazz at the Bistro. He was an entertaining and informative interview subject, as well as an outstanding musician, and he'll be missed greatly.

A funeral service for Hamiet Bluiett will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 12 at Lovejoy Temple Church of God, 511 Canal Street in Brooklyn, IL, followed by burial at 12:30 p.m. at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.

(Updated 10/7/18 with information about survivors and funeral services.)

Pat Arana, trombonist of the St. Louis Stompers, dies at age 72

Trombonist Joseph Patrick "Pat" Arana of the St. Louis Stompers died of cancer last Wednesday, August 22 in St. Charles, MO. Arana (pictured) was 72 years old and was retired from teaching music in the Ritenour School District.

He performed locally and at festivals all over the country with the Stompers, worked with many other jazz and popular music groups in St. Louis, and was an original member of Jean Kittrell and Red Lehr’s Old St. Louis Levee Band.

Services were held Tuesday at Baue Funeral and Memorial Center in St. Charles, with interment at St. Charles Memorial Gardens.

Pat Arana is survived by his wife Marilyn, children Matt Arana and Betsy (Bruce) Nelson, and brothers Gerald (Kathy) Arana and Donald (Jean) Arana, as well as grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. The family has requested memorials in his name be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Stepping Stones Program in the Ritenour School District.

Jean Kittrell 1927 - 2018

Pianist and singer Jean Kittrell, who performed traditional jazz, swing and ragtime in St. Louis and around the world from the 1960s into the 2000s, died on Tuesday, August 14 in Edwardsville, IL. She was 91 years old.

A native of Birmingham, AL, Kittrell (pictured) began playing piano as a youth in church, and went on to earn a degree in music theory at Blue Mountain College in Mississippi.

She began her jazz career in the late 1950s accompanying her husband, trumpeter Ed Kittrell, in groups including the Chesapeake Bay Jass Band, based in Norfolk, VA, and the Chicago Stompers.

The Kittrells in the mid-1960s moved to Southern Illinois, living in Murphysboro and later in Edwardsville. Jean Kittrell began playing in St. Louis, working as a solo act in the late 1960s at the Old Levee House on the riverfront.

An educator as well as a musician, she went on to earn a PhD in 20th century British Literature at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 1973, and subsequently taught at SIU-Edwardsville for ten years.

In the early 1970s, she performed and recorded with the Mississippi Mudcats Jazz Band and the Boll Weevil Jass Band. From the mid-1970s on, Kittrell worked with three different groups - the Jazz Incredibles, the St. Louis Rivermen and the Old St. Louis Levee Band - performing locally in the St. Louis area, most notably on the Robert E. Lee riverboat, and traveling to traditional jazz festivals around the nation and in Europe and Asia.

Kittrell officially retired from performing in 2008, but made occasional guest appearances with the Rivermen, now led by longtime tuba player Red Lehr, for a few years after that.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ed and daughter Rebecca. Survivors include a daughter, Camille, and son-in-law Tom Bryant. The family has requested that any memorials be made in the form of contributions to the scholarship fund established by Kittrell some years ago to benefit jazz students at SIU Edwardsville.

Search for missing pianist Nathan Jatcko ends with family's announcement

St. Louis jazz pianist Nathan Jatcko, who went missing last week and inspired a search that has received extensive media coverage in the area, has died.

On Wednesday night, family members posted a message to a Facebook group dedicated to the search that read as follows:

"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Nathan Jatcko on 1/17/2018. He took his life. He leaves behind a loving family and wide community of friends. We are at a loss for words, but appreciate all of the love, kindness, and prayers communicated to us over the past five days. Thank you.

As we are grieving, the family asks for privacy at this difficult time."

Jatcko (pictured) grew up in Highland, IL and studied music at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He moved to St. Louis after graduation, and regularly performed solo as well as with trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band, singer Christy Coleman, the Liberation Organ Trio, and others.

He was last seen at around 1:30 a.m. Friday, January 12 at his apartment in south St. Louis, and was reported missing after failing to show up for a recording session and performance later on Friday.

Social media posts seeking information about Jatcko's whereabouts were shared thousands of times, and the search for him was covered extensively by local media, including the Riverfront Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, KTVI-Fox 2, KSDK, Belleville News-Democrat, KMOX, RiverBender.com, KMOV, and Patch.com.

This story will be updated if and when more information becomes available.

Our condolences go out to Nathan Jatcko's family, friends, and musical colleagues.

Update, 11:30 p.m. 1/22/18: A public memorial gathering for Nathan Jatcko will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, January 27 at Birger Hall on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Jeter Thompson 1930 - 2017

Pianist Jeter Thompson, whose leadership of the groups Quartette Trés Bien and Trio Trés Bien made him a significant figure on the St. Louis jazz scene from the Gaslight Square era into the 21st century, died on Friday, December 1. He was 87 years old.

Born in St. Louis on March 16, 1930, Thompson (pictured, top left) started playing piano at five years old, and made his first professional appearance at age 16 in 1946, performing with saxophonist Emmett Carter at a downtown club called the Coconut Grove.

He went to Sumner High School, where in 1948 he was senior class president, and subsequently attended Stowe College for two years, earning an associates degree. He then joined the U. S. Air Force, serving in Korea.

Returning home in 1954, Thompson played various local gigs until the formation in 1959 of Quartette Trés Bien, which in its best-known lineup included bassist Richard Simmons, drummer Albert St. James, and percussionist Percy James.

The group (pictured, center left) became a popular attraction in the then-booming Gaslight Square entertainment district, serving as the house band at The Dark Side, where in 1962 they were filmed as part of an episode of the CBS drama Route 66.

In 1963, Thompson and his bandmates became partners in the Trés Bien Club, located on the south side of Olive St. near the Gaslight Club. Around that same time, they were approached by Norman Wienstroer to record for his St. Louis-based label Norman Records.

The group made two albums for Norman, Boss Trés Bien and Kilimanjaro, and in 1965 also backed singer Jeanne Trevor on her debut recording for the label. Wienstroer subsequently helped the Quartette gain the attention of Decca Records, which re-issued their first two albums and would release eight more recordings of them over the next few years.

With an assist from fellow St. Louisan Dick Gregory, whose standup comedy career was peaking at the same time, Quartette Trés Bien also became a touring band. They appeared with Gregory at the Apollo in Harlem; on a bill with Thelonious Monk at the It Club in Los Angeles (where Monk would make a famous live recording for Columbia Records); and as headliners at storied jazz spots of the 1960s including the Plugged Nickel in Chicago, Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, Crawford's Grill in Pittsburgh, The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, CA, and many others.

Back home in St. Louis, they performed with singer Sarah Vaughan at Powell Hall, and appeared on bills with singer Nancy Wilson and the Count Basie Orchestra.

In 1973, with Gaslight Square a distant memory and jazz clubs closing around the nation, Quartette Tres Bien dissolved. Thompson worked as a cartographer for the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency and as a real estate agent, and went on to form Trio Tres Bien with his brothers, bassist Harold Thompson and drummer Howard Thompson.

Trio Trés Bien (pictured, bottom left) found ample work locally playing clubs, concerts and private events, and in 2004 issued a self-released album, Coming Together. They continued to perform into the 2010s, sometimes with Harold's daughter, vocalist Danita Mumphard.

In 2014, Trio Trés Bien was inducted into the St. Louis Jazz Hall of Fame at Harris-Stowe State University's Wolfe Jazz Institute.

In addition to his brothers and niece, Jeter Thompson is survived by his wife, Louisa; his daughters Donna Patton and Pamela Cobb; his sister, Patricia Whitelocke; and, to quote his obituary in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

Arrangements were by Austin Layne Normandy Chapel, and a funeral was held on Friday, December 8 at St. Louis Bible Way Baptist Church.

Information for this story came from City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis 1895-1973 by Dennis Owsley; That St. Louis Thing, Part 2 by Bruce R. Olson; and http://www.tresbienmusic.com/.

Mark O'Shaughnessy 1952 - 2017

Funeral services are set for Mark O'Shaughnessy, founder and co-owner of the St. Louis venue BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

O'Shaughnessy, a longtime advocate for St. Louis music and musicians who opened the first of the club's three incarnations back in 1976, died Saturday, May 27 in his apartment above BB's of complications of diabetes. He was 65.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. this Thursday, June 1 at Kutis Affton Chapel, 10151 Gravois Road. A funeral will be held at 9:15 a.m. Friday, June 2 at Affton Chapel, followed at 10:00 a.m. by a Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary, 4092 Blow Street.

BB's operations manager and partner John May told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson that the club will continue business as usual. While O'Shaughnessy (pictured) had announced plans to retire this year, negotiations to buy his share of the BB's business were still underway at the time of his death, May told StLJN.

On a personal note, I knew Mark for more than 35 years, first meeting him when I was one of about 15 audience members for a show by the great singer Betty Carter during BB's second chapter in the early '80s. Although we weren't close friends, he was very encouraging of my efforts in music and journalism over the years - as he was for countless others - and it was always good to see him and talk, however briefly. The St. Louis music scene and the musicians who inhabit it certainly owe him a "thanks" and a debt of gratitude, and though he'll be missed, he'll be remembered fondly.

Mark O'Shaughnessy is survived by his mother, Frances M. O’Shaughnessy of St. Louis; four daughters, Heather O’Shaughnessy of Maui, HI, Kerensia Blackman of Jefferson County, and Kelly Slavin and Megan Steen of St. Louis; a son, Richard VanGelder of Omaha, NE; and five grandchildren.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Remembering Charles "Bobo" Shaw

Today, let's take a break from previewing upcoming performances here in St. Louis to look at some videos of the late drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw.

Shaw, who died Monday in a St. Louis nursing care facility at age 69, was a founder of the Black Artists Group and played with many well-known jazz and creative musicians of the past 50 years.

He had a varied career in music that was sufficiently important that, in addition to his obituary here on StLJN, his passing has been noted by national publications including the New York Times and DownBeat, which published an obituary written by veteran St. Louis journalist Terry Perkins. (In contrast, Shaw's hometown newspaper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has yet to offer any coverage of his death, nor have any other media outlets here, except for the one you're reading right now.)

In the last years of his life, Shaw may have had a lower profile on the national and international scenes that he did in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, but he did perform here in St. Louis as part of a number of different musical projects, and today's videos offer a glimpse of three of them. (Please note that none of these videos was professionally produced, so the audio and video quality varies widely.)

The first video up above features Shaw and pianist David Parker playing Parker's "Scott Joplin Blues" in 2014 at the Tavern of Fine Arts. After the jump, you can see two more clips from the same gig, featuring Shaw, Parker, and cellist Tracy Andreotti engaged in some free improv.

Next is a series of six clips from two concerts that Shaw and three other St. Louis drummers did for the Nu-Art Series in 2010 and 2011 at the Metropolitan Gallery downtown.

Presented under the name "The Drum Line" by trumpeter and impresario George Sams, a friend of Shaw's since childhood, the concerts were a spotlight for the individual and collective skills of four percussionists - Shaw, Jerome "Scrooge' Harris, Gary Sykes, and Johnny Johnson - as well as a tribute to the local drum and bugle groups American Woodsmen and Tom Powell American Legion Post #77 that offered training and opportunities to many young St. Louis African-American musicians in the mid-20th century.

The next two videos feature Shaw playing with the group Melodies of the Kabbalah in a session recorded in May 2010 at the old studios of radio station KDHX on Magnolia Ave in south St. Louis. In contrast to the sometimes-sprawling free improvisations in today's other clips, the versions of "Hine Ma Tov" and "Latin Moderato 75" feature Shaw in an accompanying role, supporting the ensemble of keyboardist Michael Loveman, bassist Josh Weinstein (of KDHX's "All Soul, No Borders), violinist Brien Seyle, and fellow drummer Brian Sullivan in a couple of concise, melodic performances.

As a lagniappe, at the end of this post you'll find an audio-only YouTube playlist compiling tracks from various projects Shaw did with violinist Billy Bang, the Human Arts Ensemble, and bassist William Parker.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Charles "Bobo" Shaw 1947-2017

Charles Wesley "Bobo" Shaw, a St. Louis drummer who helped found the Black Artists Group, co-led the Human Arts Ensemble, and played with many prominent jazz and creative musicians of the past half-century, has died at a nursing care facility in St. Louis. He was 69 years old.

St. Louis trumpeter, arts administrator and impresario George Sams, who was friends with Shaw for nearly 60 years, said the drummer had been hospitalized with multiple ailments in early December, first at Barnes Jewish Hospital and then at St. Alexius.

He was transferred to Heritage Care Center in north county about three weeks ago, Sams said, and was placed in hospice care there last Thursday, where he remained until his death at about 6:00 a.m. Monday.

Shaw was born September 15, 1947 in Pope, Mississippi. Moving to St. Louis as a young child, in 1953 he joined the American Woodsman drum and bugle corps, a group whose other alumni include Sams, trumpeter Clark Terry, saxophonist Oliver Lake, and drummer Philip Wilson. Shaw also also played with the drum corps associated with Tom Powell Post American Legion #77, studied drums with jazz musicians Joe Charles and Elijah Shaw and with Bernie Snyder of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and along the way, learned trombone and bass as well.

In the mid-1960s, he helped found the Black Artists Group, a cooperative organization of musicians, writers, poets, actors, and visual artists whose members included Lake, saxophonists Hamiet Bluiett and Julius Hemphill, trumpeter Lester Bowie, and many others. Although the group, unlike Chicago's similarly conceived and still active Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, was relatively short-lived, its influence continues to be felt through the music of its former members and the ensembles they subsequently established, including the World Saxophone Quartet (with Lake, Bluiett, Hemphill, and David Murray) and the funk band Defunkt, led by trombonist Joseph Bowie, the younger brother of Lester Bowie.

Along with several other BAG members, Shaw moved to Europe later in the 1960s, returning to the USA in 1971 and eventually ending up in New York City. His musical collaborations during this time included work with Anthony Braxton, Steve Lacy, Frank Wright, Alan Silva, Michel Portal, Cecil Taylor, and Frank Lowe, as well as with St. Louis musicians such as Lake, Hemphill, the Bowie brothers, saxophonist Luther Thomas, and guitarist Richard Martin. In the 1980s, he played with violinist Billy Bang, and in all, Shaw recorded at least 10 albums as a leader or co-leader, and appeared on more than a dozen other recordings with Bang, Lake, Lester Bowie, Defunkt, Braxton, Lowe, violinist Leroy Jenkins, and others.

Beset by health issues and personal problems, Shaw performed less frequently in later years, though he did take part in several concerts this decade for Sams' Nu-Art Series at the Metropolitan Gallery downtown and in some improvised performances at the now-shuttered Tavern of Fine Arts.

One of his last major concerts in New York was during the 2015 Vision Festival at Judson Memorial Church as part of Bluiett's Telepathic Orchestra, an all-star ensemble also featuring Sams, multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran, saxophonists Kidd Jordan and Charles Gayle, flutist Siraz al-Hasan, harpist Riza Priantup, tuba player Joe Daley, pianist D.D. Jackson, bassist William Parker, percussionist Warren Smith, and a string section including violinists Mazz Swift, Jason Kao Hwang, Jean Cook, Judith Insell, and Elektra Kurtis, cellist Tomeka Reid, and bassist Mark Schmied. You can see that performance on video here.

Survivors include a sister, Marian Shaw Matthews of Washington, DC; six daughters, Concere, Antasiah, Myah, Erica, Tracy and Lorene Sabbane Shaw; and a grandchild.

A memorial service and celebration of the life of Charles "Bobo" Shaw will be held at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, January 26 at Eddie Randle & Sons Funeral Home, 4600 Natural Bridge Ave, St. Louis, MO 63115.

Updated 1/23/18 to correct Shaw's date of birth and add information on survivors and the memorial services.