A rare St Louis appearance by Mr Bob Koester of Delmark records.

Vintage Vinyl, University City loop, Monday, October 19.

"DEVIL AT THE CONFLUENCE Pre-War Blues Music of St. Louis, Missouri" book signing and Q & A with Bob Koester (Delmark Records founder) and Kevin Belford (Devil At The Confluence author.)

Monday, October 19, at Vintage Vinyl, 6610 Delmar Blvd, University City. 7:30 pm - 9 pm, (314) 721-4096. Free.

http://www.vintagevinyl.com/

Delmark Records is an American Jazz and Blues record label. Based in Chicago since 1958 it originated in St Louis, Missouri in 1953 when owner Bob Koester released a recording by the Windy City Six, a traditional jazz group in 1953, under the 'Delmar' imprint.

Moving to St Louis, Missouri to attend college Koester began his career as a record trader out of his dormitory room. Joining the local Jazz Club gave Koester his first taste of live jazz - seeing Bob Graf and Clark Terry perform. Koester would open his first record shop, the Blue Note Record Shop at the corner of Delmar and Oliver streets in St Louis. Taking the name from the street his shop was on Koester (then only 21 years old) recorded a local jazz group the Windy City Six in 1953. Shortly thereafter Koester searched out and found local talent in bluesmen such as Speckled Red, Big Joe Williams and J.D. Short.

After a period in St Louis Koester decided to move to Chicago in 1958. Delmark is the nation's oldest independent record label and Koester has received nearly all music-related awards one could hope for. He is one of a handful of nonperformers to have been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. 

http://delmark.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/arts/music/28roht.html