The Sheldon Art Galleries presents a gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibition Legends of St. Louis Blues Music, ongoing through August 28, 2010 in the History of Jazz Gallery.
Gallery Talk: Tuesday, March 30 at 6 p.m. Gabriel, now a DJ at KDHX, has for more than 50 years been an influential advocate for blues music in St. Louis . He will speak at length on his experiences with blues music in St. Louis . The Gallery Talk is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Legends of St. Louis Blues Music., History of Jazz Gallery, the Sheldon Art Galleries. Admission is free.
Gabriel has been in the radio business for nearly 60 years. He started at WOKZ, Alton , Illinois in 1952 and has worked for several different stations around the country, including XERF in Mexico ; WWWW in Saginaw , Michigan ; WTMV and WESL in East St. Louis , Illinois ; and KDNA in St. Louis . He was on KATZ for nearly 10 years, and has been at KDHX for nearly 21 years. He operated the Ultrasonic Recording Studio and produced the labels Tune Town , Joyce, Ultrasonic, Royal American, Yvette's, and Planet, with many of the recordings still in demand today. Gabriel also recorded several of his own albums in the 1960s on the Norman , Planet, Royal American, and Tempora labels and was a part of Ike Turner's band for some time. Gabriel has emceed shows at the Kiel Auditorium, with such stars as The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips and Moms Mabley, and ran the Majestic Theatre in East St. Louis , Illinois. As a radio personality, he has interviewed Louis Jordan, Jackie Brenston, Godfrey Cambridge, among many others. At KDHX he has a worldwide listenership and can be heard every Sunday night from midnight until 3 a.m., or streaming at www.KDHX.org.
Organized by the Sheldon Art Galleries , the exhibition Legends of St. Louis Blues Music tells the story of the rich history of blues music in St. Louis through biographies on key musicians; illustrations by Kevin Belford; photographs by Jennifer Silverberg, Charley Taylor, Bob Shelli and Photo Joe; ephemera , recordings; and memorabilia such as Johnnie Johnson's electric piano, among other rarities. Building on its key role in ragtime music, St. Louis was a gathering place for early blues musicians like Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw, Henry Townsend, and Victoria Spivey, among other luminaries. This exhibition uncovers important St. Louis musicians, songs and blues music styles that have influenced our musical heritage, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, and a continually evolving blues tradition.
Gallery Hours are Tuesdays, Noon - 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Noon - 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and one hour prior to Sheldon performances and during intermission. Admission is free. For more information on the exhibition visit the galleries' website at www.thesheldon.org/galleries.asp. The exhibition is made possible by Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg , The Engelhardt Family Foundation, and Steve and Andi Schankman.
