Friday, May 19, 2017

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake (pictured) was interviewed about the founding of the Black Artsists Groups and various other subject by journalist Seth Colter Wells for a feature story on Bandcamp.com

* A recent visit by drummer Kimberly Thompson and trumpeter Keyon Harrold to Francis Howell High School was chronicled by the school's student newspaper FHC Today. Thompson and Harrold were back home in St. Louis last month for a week-long educational residency sponsored by Jazz St. Louis and performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network, which produces music education videos featuring wll-known jazz musicians, was featured on a recent episode of KETC's Living St. Louis.

* Condolences to the family and friends of Tom McMahon, trombonist with the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra, who died last Wednesday, May 10 after a two-year fight with melanoma.

McMahon, 57, worked days as a software application architect at Enterprise Holdings. He is survived by his wife Amy McMahon; children Michael, Nathan and Hannah; and other members of his extended family. A visitation will take place at 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, May 20 at Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester Rd. in Kirkwood, followed at 2:00 p.m. by a remembrance. The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra dedicated their performance on Wednesday, May 17 at Jazz at the Bistro to McMahon's memory.

*.ZACK, the newest venue in Grand Center - and yes, the name is supposed to be pronounced "dot-zack" - was the subject of  a feature story on KSDK's Show Me St. Louis.

* Vernacular String Trio was profiled in the Riverfront Times as one of the 77 local bands set to perform in the paper's ShowcaseSTL event, which is set for Saturday, June 17 at various venues in The Grove.

* The jazz program at St. Dominic's High School in St. Charles, directed by saxophonist Larry Johnson, was featured in the Archdiocesan newspaper St. Louis Review. Trombonist Wyatt Forhan, a junior at St. Dominic's, is one of two St. Louis area student musicians selected this year for the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

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