Mother Baltimore: For Montez
Esteemed East St. Louis-bred drummer Montez Coleman passed away in January due to congestive heart failure. He was 48. Coleman attended East St. Louis Lincoln High School, where he played in the jazz band under the tutelage of legendary director Ron Carter.
Since then, Coleman became a well sought-after musician who toured across the globe and performed with jazz giants such as Roy Hargove, Wynton Marsalis, Russell Gunn and more. He was a frequent performer at Jazz St. Louis for roughly 25 years and had an earnest dedication to cultivating the next generation of artists, according to Bob Bennett, the nonprofit’s artistic director.
“To say that he left a massive void not only musically but in all of our lives personally is a massive understatement,” Bennett said. “He was a one-of-a-kind individual, musician, friend, father. He was just a beautiful person. It’s still a very big hole in all of our lives, and I don’t know if it’ll ever be filled.”
On Saturday, Sept. 10, Jazz St. Louis will present a celebration for Coleman during the Music at the Intersection festival. The set will feature four different bands that have performed with Coleman throughout his extensive career and highlight the music he performed.
Bennett said that he hasn’t completely processed the loss of Coleman. He said he often has the urge to text him. Coleman’s indelible ability to invigorate any venue he played in is something that immediately comes to Bennett’s mind when speaking about the late drummer.
“He would find younger musicians to bring into his fold and his band and guide them through,” Bennett said. “Whatever Tez was doing was always swinging. He brought a joy to the bandstand that was infectious. Everybody on the stage and in the audience can feel that all the time. You could even feel that when he walked into the room.
Bennett hopes to bring that same joy to the festival’s audience during the celebration on Saturday.
Now, here’s the latest news in southwestern Illinois:
Illinois State Police to move district headquarters to East St. Louis, officials say
Earlier this week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker held a press conference to announce the Illinois State Police moving its District 11 headquarters from Collinsville to East St. Louis. Brendan Kelly, director of the state agency, confirmed the news with the BND last week. While there isn’t a date for when construction will start, the project will take at least three years to complete, according to Kelly.
More on Illinois State Police District 11:
East St. Louis will be future home of Illinois State Police District 11
Illinois state police reports progress in addressing crime in East St. Louis
East St. Louis holds town hall meeting on flooding updates as residents still displaced
City officials in East St. Louis held a town hall meeting to address concerns regarding severe flash flooding in July that devastated the community. While the city tried assuring residents that they’re doing the best they can to provide relief, displaced residents said that assistance isn’t coming quickly enough. BND reporter DeAsia Paige attended last week’s meeting.
More on flooding in East St. Louis:
Will FEMA assist southwest IL residents with flood recovery efforts? Here’s an update
‘What’s the holdup?’ A month after flooding, some East St. Louis residents are still displaced
Where to get your COVID booster in the metro-east, plus what to know about the new shot
On Sept. 1, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the use of updated booster shots designed to combat the most prevalent omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA. 5 and the original coronavirus strain. Local pharmacies are currently offering the updated vaccine. BND reporter Meredith Howard talked to Dr. Vidya Sundareshen from Southern Illinois University Medicine about the new vaccine and its effects.
More on COVID-19 in metro-east:
30 IL counties are at high COVID community levels. Here’s how to get an updated booster.
IL reports 4 COVID deaths in St. Clair County last week. See latest community levels.
What to do
This section of Mother Baltimore highlights upcoming events in the metro-east that are relevant to Black communities. If you have tips for events, send them to dsutgrey@bnd.com
Montez Coleman Celebration at Music at the Intersection
Saturday, September 10 at 1:40 p.m. at the Big Top Stage
Curated by Jazz St. Louis, a celebration of Montez Coleman will feature performances from over 10 artists who played with the late drummer throughout his career. The East St. Louis-bred musician died earlier this year. Tickets for Music at the Intersection start at $79 for adults. The festival will be held at the Grand Center Arts District in St. Louis
What to watch
“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.”
‘Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.’ is the feature-length directorial debut of Adamma Ebo. The film follows a first lady and pastor of a megachurch as they attempt to rebuild their congregation following a major scandal. Starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown, the comedy film debuted in theaters on Sep. 2 and is available to stream on Peacock
What to read
Don’t Mess with Megan
Grammy-winning rapper Megan thee Stallion recently sat down with The Cut to talk about her new album, her next ventures and learning to grieve. The Houston MC’s sophomore album “Traumazine” dropped last month, and throughout the LP, she embraces the softer sides of her personality while assuring haters that she’ll no longer be taken advantage of. Of the rapper, Ashley C. Ford writes:
Black girls are taught how to seem unthreatening and accommodating to others in order to stay safe in a world that doesn’t tolerate us being much of anything else. Fortunately for you, me, and our headphones, the rapper born Megan Pete isn’t particularly interested in being accommodating anymore.
That’s all she wrote!
Talk to y’all in two weeks!
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