Double Bass Showdown: Some of the world’s best double bass players are squaring off in Denton this week for the Bradetich Foundation International Double Bass Competition.  It’s a Van Cliburn-like contest designed to spotlight the bulky instrument, reward those who’ve mastered it and encourage its use in solos.  So far the plan is working: the contest has captured the the BBC’s attention. The performances are all free and continue through Sunday. Details here.

Birth of Boogie: Coming home to  Marshall to play a concert feels like “being abducted by alien spaceships,” says Omar Shariff. A part-time historian from San Antonio identified Shariff, 72 and down on his luck in California, as a kind of missing link to East Texas’ claim as the birthplace of boogie woogie.  Marshall’s leaders invited Shariff to return to his birthplace as part of their new tourism plan:  “Marshall, Texas: Center Stage”

Sad news: Ridglea Music in Fort Worth is going out of business after 50 years.

Eco-art: Huffington Post launched an arts section of its Web site this week. I thought of Jerome’s KERA radio piece today on the Seedlings exhibition at the Dallas Contemporary when I read this.

Golden Ticket:   Today’s the last day to enter KXT 91.7’s drawing for a pair of  tickets to each of more than 30 shows this summer.  While you’re checking out the details, consider making a contribution to support commercial-free music radio.