Here's the latest compilation of assorted news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:
* There are big doings on the
Miles Davis front this week, with the imminent
release of the boxed mega-set
The Complete Miles Davis Columbia Collection, which brings together in one deluxe package the trumpeter's total output for the label, plus unreleased material, on 72 discs.
Meanwhile, the museum of the Cit de la Musique in Paris currently is featuring “We Want Miles," an exhibition celebrating Davis' life and work. If you're lucky enough to be in Paris, you can see the exhibit through January 17; if not, console yourself with this
review from the Web site SoulCulture.co.uk.
In other Miles-related news, for the past week satellite radio customers have been able to tune into a temporary
channel devoted to Davis. Hosted by the trumpeter's son, Erin Davis; his nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn Jr.; and bassist/producer Marcus Miller, Miles Davis Radio is featuring music from Davis' catalog, never-before-heard soundtrack music recorded by Davis for the 1986 film Wise Guys, and interviews with former Davis band members and various guests. The channel went on the air Friday and will continue until Wednesday, November 25, temporarily replacing Real Jazz on Sirius channel 72 and XM channel 70.
Davis' album
Birth of the Cool was the subject of a program held in late October at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, with music by the Don Wilson Trio and a lecture by Bob Perkins. Read the AllAboutJazz.com review of the event by Victor L. Schermer
here.
Long considered a jazz landmark, Birth of the Cool was one of three Davis albums on the London Telegraph's recently published
list of the 100 best jazz recordings or all time. (Composer and saxophonist
Oliver Nelson's
Blues and the Abstract Truth was the only other St. Louis-related entry on the list.)...And here's another
review of the recent reissue of Davis' 1950s sessions with Sonny Rollins for the Prestige label, written from AllAboutJazz.com by Chris May
* Moving on to news of other St. Louisans past and present, Marc Myers just wrapped up a multi-part interview for his JazzWax blog with saxophonist and composer/arranger
Lennie Niehaus, who was born in St. Louis, helped establish the West Coast “cool jazz" sound and went on to a very successful career
scoring films, most notably for director/actor Clint Eastwood. Read part one
here, and follow the links therein for the rest.
* Here's a
review of Femina, saxophonist and composer
John Zorn's recent tribute to female artists, written for AllAboutJazz.com by Mark Corroto.
* Saxophonist and St. Louis native
David Sanborn and singer/guitarist (and frequent visitor to our town)
John Pizzarelli will headline the eighteenth annual “All That Jazz" weekend in January at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville, North Carolina.
* Speaking of coming attractions, here's a review from the Hartford Courant's Richard Kamins of Snap Shot: The Original Trio, a new CD from organist Joey DeFrancesco, who returns to St. Louis in March to play at Jazz at the Bistro.
* And here are two reviews of Vijay Iyer's new CD Historicity--one from AllAboutJazz.com's Chris Kompanek here, and one from Pitchfork here. Iyer, who will play the Bistro in January, also recently was featured on NPR's “Song of the Day."
* Singer Steve Tyrell, who will perform here in May at the Sheldon Concert Hall, just began an eight-week stand at NYC's Cafe Carlyle. Read the review of his show by the New York Times' Stephen Holden here.
* As we head for the exits of this installment of NftN, here's another review of Larry Ochs Sax & Drumming Core's recent CD Stone Shift, written for AllAboutJazz.com by Kurt Gottschalk. Ochs and the Core performed at the Sheldon in September.
* Last but not least, are you a music fan who is confused, amused and/or appalled by the continual proliferation of ever-more-specific nomenclature for musical genres, micro-genres and nano-genres? If so, check out NPR Music's “Genre Dictionary 2009," and perhaps you too will be able to comprehend the difference between “crabcore" and “grime."
