Photography by Jessica Page
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Tonina Saputo’s musical background is as unique as that of any musician calling St. Louis home. She grew up as a member of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra; graduated from the Berklee College of Music; and performed at venues throughout Spain and Italy. In just the last year, she’s been named a Slingshot artist by National Public Radio; released an album, Black Angel, with Grammy-winning producer Javier Limón; and, most recently, was named music department coordinator at KDHX, giving her a dual role as performer and curator.
“My duties include reporting back to labels on their artists’ airplay, scheduling the music and photojournalists for shows, scheduling in-studios for artists coming through St. Louis to perform,” says Saputo, who also books acts for The Stage. Her tenure has coincided with the arrival of several female-hosted shows. “These new shows excite me, because I think they are more diverse and will give many local musicians a platform,” Saputo says. “I hope to one day have my own DJ show here at KDHX.” (Music runs in the family. Saputo’s uncle Tony Saputo, who played with Reba McEntire, died in the 1991 plane crash that killed most of the country singer’s band. Tonina Saputo’s parents met at the crash site, and she was named after her uncle.)
At night, Saputo is busy writing, rehearsing, and performing with a talented group of local players. Of late, the classically trained bassist has been gigging with drummer Keith Bowman, guitarist Joseph Ferber, and sax player David Gomez. Together they’ve held down a Tuesday-night residency at The Dark Room since Saputo was selected for the Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s music artist–in–residence program.
Photography by Gina Grafos
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Saputo, who recently released the single “The Sum of Broken Pieces,” has also been working on a new album. “As far as the instrumentation goes, I have guitar, sax, drums, and bass,” she says. “This is, most of the time, what I hear in my head, instrument-wise.” However, she says, it’ll also include some new-to-her post-recording production, like bass drops and synths.
Although she’s sunk a deep hook into the local scene in the past year, Saputo still has a few goals for next year, one of which is to keep building a base of fans in her hometown, whether they find her through live sets or through her new album. And even as her profile has risen this year, Saputo still finds it hard to put her eclectic sound into words. Her blend of folk, R&B, jazz, and soul (sung in multiple languages) has never lent itself to a shorthand description. As she puts it: “It’s something that people will understand when they hear and experience.”
Saputo performs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at The Dark Room.
Besides Saputo, KDHX’s staff comprises a mix of local musicians.
- Andy Coco, chief production officer and host of The Rhythm Section: A bass player with a role in more than a half-dozen bands, Coco produces an annual festival called Funk Fest, bringing a couple dozen funk bands to life in the BroadwayTriangle, just south of Busch Stadium.
- Jon Valley, production coordinator: The amiable Valley records many of the station’s podcasts, calendars, underwriting spots, and interstitials. He also plays occasional shows around town, highlighting original material through keyboards and voice.
- Kelly Wells, executive director and host of Steam-Powered Radio: Station head Wells plays folk, Americana, blues, and country on her program and onstage, in different guises, including her songwriting platform, The Aching Hearts.
