Page 16 - Love of Music St. Louis Magazine

LOM Staff Reports - Social Media Reports - Web - Facebook - Google
Love of Music Magazine’s Local Artists-Musicians
®

Raven Wolf C. Felton Jennings II,
Spiritual Jazz Artist, Producer and instructor
You already know Raven Wolf. Standing in front Raven Wolf believes in the healing, spiritual power
of Vintage Vinyl with the sound of his saxophone of music and takes it upon himself to nourish St.
wailing echoes down Delmar Boulevard, you recog- Louis one spot at a time, holding down a promi-
nize him either by face or sound. You either found nent street corner and breathing new life into the
the experience incredibly natural and walked by city. A multi-instrumentalist, he chooses from sax-
casually or you were struck by the juxtaposition of ophones, orchestral flute, Native American-style
spiritual melody versus the din of the bustling street flute or hand percussion to weave a tapestry of
and stopped to listen closer. Either way, Raven sound that emanates from the heart and seeks to
Wolf invites you to delve further into his world he bring forth peace, beauty and emotion.
calls “Spiritual Jazz…in the St. Louis Tradition.”

Beth Bombara
Singer, songwriter and musician
Beth Bombara is a St. Louis transplant and Having played 22 states and driven through every
independent singer, songwriter and musician. other state but four, Bombara has found enough
Since moving here from Michigan in 2007, Bom- success to lift her out of the U.S . with upcoming
bara has released six recordings in the Americana performances in Glasgow, London, Brighton and
vernacular. Having taken piano lessons since the Manchester. A solo act, Bombara often plays as
3rd grade, she became interested in guitar right a duet with musical collaborator and husband
before high school and has used it as her primary Kit Hamon but is still billed eponymously to keep
instrument ever since. Bombara’s writing blurs the focus on her stripped down and intimate yet
the lines between folk and rock but has enough insightful writing style. Bombara has also played
pop sensibility to garner interest nationally and to an audience of over 10,000 at the Whitaker
internationally. Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.

Elliott Ranney
Singer, songwriter and musician
Elliott Ranney is a St. Louis based singer/ Melodically and harmonically rich without the need
songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist with a musical for heavy instrumentation, the album stands on its
style that is like an island breeze. Elements of own and warranted a re-release on a Tokyo-based
Bossa Nova, Samba, cool jazz and folk appear label in 2012. A year later, Ranney followed up
in Ranney’s compositions as he balances between with “Bellevue Shuffle,” a carefully crafted collection
intricate nylon-string guitar parts and laid-back of unique songs written in the decade following
vocal passages. A guitarist with 50+ years of “Sailor.” Ranney appears at wineries, coffee shops
experience, Ranney spent time as a cook/baker and cafes around the St. Louis and St. Charles
in the US Navy where he first starting writing areas as a solo artist or leading a small ensemble.
material that would eventually make its way onto
his 2001 release, “An Aging Sailor’s Dream.”

Sharon Hazel
Singer, songwrite and musician
Sharon Hazel is an independent singer/songwriter An advocate for local music history, Hazel found
who performs as a solo act and as the frontwoman herself entranced by the St. Louis music scene
for Sharon Hazel Township (SHT). A multi- upon moving here from San Diego in 2015.
instrumentalist, Hazel produced, wrote, recorded, Despite being a transplant, Hazel has become an
mixed and played every single instrument on her ambassador for St. Louis. In 2016, Hazel won
2010 release “Socrates In Urgency” but generally the International Blues Challege’s Road to
resigns herself to guitar playing for solo gigs. SHT Memphis competition sponsored by the St. Louis
is a fusion of folk, rock and blues that is voiced Blues Society and appeared in a major blues
for the jam band vocabulary but focused more on showcase in Memphis as the St. Louis
songwriting and raw passion than the ten-minute representative. Sharon Hazel and SHT can be
guitar solo. found at venues across the Greater St. Louis area.

14 | The Love of Music Magazine - St. Louis
®