Review: Killer Strayhorn- One Begins to Wonder

 

As recently as the '80s, jazz was still a viable form of popular music.  Acts like Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn and Grover Washington, Jr. sold albums to people who also enjoyed the music of Anita Baker, Lionel Richie and Journey.  The best-selling jazz of the era was designed to please casual listeners with sturdy melodies, accessible textures and an overall pleasant sensibility. 

The members of Killer Strayhorn realize that there's still a lot of rewarding music left to be mined in that neglected vein.  The Kansas City band's new album One Begins to Wonder combines straight-ahead jazz with the pop sensibility of a crossover jazz act.  The five men in Killer Strayhorn make the savvy concept pay off.

The album's most telling track may be "Ridin' 'longside Bruce," a jaunty nod to Bruce Hornsby.  One can easily imagine the song's delectable groove thrilling thousands of Bela Fleck, Steely Dan or Phish fans at a summer festival.  Driven by Chris Lewis' piano, the title track possesses the gentle lilt of a Joe Sample project.  The band acknowledges its debt to Pat Metheny on a rendition of the guitarist's "As I Am."

Lest these comparisons give readers the wrong impression, One Begins to Wonder contains plenty of conventional jazz chops.  Billy Strayhorn's "U.M.M.G.", for instance, is given an appropriately melancholy treatment.  "Mellowdrama," a Heath Brothers jam from 1978, sounds like the best thing Bobby Watson never recorded.  Saxophonist James Isaac shines throughout.  Kansas City is knee-deep in woefully under-appreciated saxophonists.  Tracks like "Two by Two" make a case for Isaac being the candidate most worthy of wider recognition. 

My only complaint is that at almost eighty minutes, One Begins to Wonder lacks focus.  While charming, guitar-oriented tracks like "Escuridao" and "The Next Step For Mallory" sound like they belong on a separate album. 

Killer Strayhorn's first and second albums were also reviewed at Plastic Sax.  Long Story Short was good.  80/20 Blue was even better.  With One Begins to Wonder, Killer Strayhorn flirts with greatness.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Madeleine Peyroux

If loving Billie Holiday is wrong, Madeleine Peyroux and I don't want to be right.  Peyroux performs Friday, May 11, at the Folly Theater.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*From a flyer provided by a friend: Welcome to the Gold Star Lounge, the "New Home for Metro K.C. Jazz". Our opening night will be May 5, 2012 at 7pm with Sons of Brasil opening our new Jazz Venue.  Please come and join us for our Happy Hour from 5:00pm to 6:30pm and our outstanding food selections on our newly created menu which will be offered from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.  Suggested donation for show is $5.00. We will also be selling ticket at $35.00 per person for our Dinner Shows featuring such performances from the McFadden Brothers, Angela Hagenbach and so many more.  I've added the the shows listed on the flyer- including a Bob James gig on May 20- to The Kansas City Jazz Calendar.  Alas, the venue lacks a web site and Facebook account.  Here we go again.

*Hearts of Darkness has a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for its second album.

*Ashley Hirt is the subject of an excellent Black House Improvisors' Collective interview.

*The People's Liberation Big Band is admired by KCJazzLark.

*Here's more from the recent I Rock Jazz interview with Bobby Watson.

*Michael Shults is pictured and interviewed in the June edition of Downbeat magazine.

*A California-based publication interviews Deborah Brown.

*T.J. Martley and Bill McKemy go hard at a Barnes & Noble in Leawood.

*Pop star Kenny Loggins and songwriter Arthur Hamilton sat in with David Basse and Mark Pender at a recent gig in California.  Sue Vicory  
filmed the encounter.

*Hearne Christopher reports on activity in the space once occupied by Jardine's.

*Lisa Henry is quoted in a preview of Aretha Franklin's appearance at Helzberg Hall.

*Carmen Bradford discusses her initial encounter with Count Basie.

*Here's a track from the forthcoming Pat Metheny album.

*The Bob James Jazz Festival is Saturday, May 19, in Marshall, Missouri.

*Tweet o' the Week: Django McTunes- It is a little known fact that Chris Getz of the Kansas City Royals is the son of jazz legend Stan Getz. #FakeRoyalsFacts

*Comment o' the Week: Matt Leifer- Uhhh...I'm not one to defend politicians, but I believe that the bridge leads somewhere, specifically, the other side of Brush Creek. Since when is infrastructure a waste of money? Get a grip.

*From Stan Kessler: We are having a joyous celebration of the life of Bill Caldwell, May 20, 2pm at The Blue Room. This is for those of us who knew & loved Bill, but could not make it to the funeral… Here's the format: Short set of tunes recorded by Bill by host band-Me, Kerry Strayer, Everett Devan, Bob Bowman, Mike Warren, (Jerry Hahn?). Remarks & stories by friends & family. Jam session  Tunes from Bill's CD projects played intermittently throughout.  The idea is for this to be fun and light, as Bill would have wanted it. This will last about 2 hours. There will be his CDs for sale, and part of the proceeds go to his wife, Kim, to help defray funeral costs.

*From Michael Pagan: Kansas City Youth Jazz organizers have re-set their annual MASTERS OF JAZZ fundraiser for 6:30 PM on Sunday, June 10, 2012 in Room 19 of the Education Center on the Metropolitan Community College Penn Valley campus… The event will include dinner and music provided by the Abel Ramirez big band and KCYJ groups for listening and dancing. Tickets cost $75 per person. A Patrons’ Party/reception will take place at 6:00 PM for donations of $150 or more. Dance only tickets will be available for $20. All proceeds will benefit Kansas City Youth Jazz.

(Original image of the new Troost Avenue bridge by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Meet Me at the Bridge Festival

I had a nice time at Saturday's Meet Me at the Bridge festival even though I quickly realized that very few of the approximately 250 people in attendance were there to hear performances by several of Kansas City's elite jazz musicians.  The free event was actually a community gathering that just happened to feature jazz. 

The commemoration of a new bridge on Troost Avenue immediately north of the UMKC campus served as a public forum for a host of politicians, community organizers, educators, environmental advocates and representatives of neighborhood associations.  Anyone not familiar with the cultural implications of Troost is encouraged to watch the trailer for  We Are Superman.  And yes, the filmmaker was on hand to pitch his documentary. 

So many speakers crossed the stage and so many clipboard-toting activists worked the modest crowd that I wondered if a friend and I weren't the only people present who weren't directly connected to the event.

I caught two acts in the two hours I spent at the bridge.  Pamela Baskin-Watson, Nedra Dixon and Angela Hagenbach are the members of the relatively new ensemble Book of Gaia.  The ambitious trio was backed by trombonist Karita Carter, pianist Eddie Moore, bassist Tyrone Clark and drummer Mike Warren.

"We are ladies on a mission," Dixon explained.  "We're striking out on a fearless path."

The trio combines the socially conscious themes also explored by Esperanza Spalding on her new Radio Music Society album with a classic sound inspired by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.  Book of Gaia's rarefied approach doesn't appeal to everyone, but it could go over extremely well in the right setting. 

I also heard the first set of a band co-led by David Basse and Bobby Watson.   The pair were joined by trumpeter Hermon Mehari, saxophonist Steve Lambert, trombonist Ben Sailor, pianist Joe Cartwright, bassist Ben Leifer, a percussionist I didn't recognize and Warren on drums.  Although he fired off a couple typically dazzling solos, Watson mostly relegated himself to section playing.  It's one of the few opportunities I've had to hear Watson in that context.  The band's repertoire included standards like "Smack Dab in the Middle" and "Moanin'." The latter selection can be heard in the background of a solid report from Fox 4 News.

Mildly disappointed that no one invited me to join the evening's cavalcade of speakers, I left before the band resumed.

(Original image of Book of Gaia by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Bobby Watson

Plastic Sax's devotion to Bobby Watson isn't a secret.  Watson isn't just the best jazz musician in Kansas City. He's the best musician in Kansas City- period.  Plastic Sax's Person of the Decade was the subject of an "I Rock Jazz" video interview last week.  (Disregard the incorrect date.)  Watson is among the dozen or so jazz musicians scheduled to appear at the Meet Me at the Bridge Street Festival on Saturday, May 5. 

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KCUR's KC Currents reports on the ongoing collaboration between saxophonists Matt Otto and Rich Wheeler.  (The segment begins at the 42:40 mark.)

*The Houston Chronicle cites the charitable efforts of the Olathe-based Mike Corrigan and B.A.C. Horn Doctors in New Orleans.

*Mark Lowrey has a Kickstarter campaign for his next album.

*Project H's YouTube channel includes clips from the band's recent trip to New Orleans.

*Howard Reich reviewed Bobby Watson's opening night at Chicago's Jazz Showcase.

*Pat Metheny will tour behind a new album that features Chris Potter, Ben Williams and Antonio Sanchez.  A Kansas City date isn't on the published itinerary. 

*A David Basse title receives a positive review.

*A set by KU jazz students was recorded by KJHK.

*Here's a video of Horace Washington performing the National Anthem at the Royals' home opener.

*Tweet o' the Week: Jason Harper- The People's Liberation Big Band brings riotous sound to silent Battleship Potemkin (Instagram photo)

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- LOL - that album cover is nasty!

*From the American Jazz Museum: The American Jazz Museum is pleased to announce the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS has released its 2012 Art Works Grant Awards Recipient listing. The American Jazz Museum is honored to be among those recipients. Specifically, the American Jazz Museum has received $16,000 to support the 2012 Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival. The Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival is a day-long indoor/outdoor event featuring 15 performances on three stages by local and nationally known jazz and blues artists such as: Christian McBride, Charlie Hunter, Greg Gisbert, and Bobby “Blue” Bland, along with educational programming. The American Jazz Museum Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2012 Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival be produced on Saturday, October 13th. Ticket pricing, programs and feature artist talent element of the event are now in development.  “The news of receiving a 2012 NEA Art Works Grant is extremely encouraging to our mission,” says Greg Carroll, CEO of the American Jazz Museum. “The funding allows continued growth of the Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival and also reinforces the diverse cultural programming we deploy in support of our organizational mission pillars of Performance, Education, Exhibition, and Research,” Carroll concluded.

*From Jim Mair: Kansas City Kansas Community College rolled out its best in vocal jazz at the annual Jazz Cabaret Thursday night.  A crowd estimated at nearly 200 filled the Jewell Center for the annual showcase of KCKCC’s talented array of soloists and ensembles.

*From Jim Mair, part two: The Big Dogs had their way at the 2nd Annual Kansas City Jazz Summit at Kansas City Kansas Community College April 23-27.  The Blue Valley Northwest Big Dog Band took home first place in the Kansas City Jazz Heritage “Basically Basie” competition. Directed by John Selzer, the BV Northwest band received 787 votes to out-distance runnerup Lee Summit North and third place Winnetonka in voting by text by members of the audience. “I think voting by text was a first for a jazz competition,” said Jim Mair, KCKCC Associate Professor of Music and Festival Coordinator. The text voting represented 25 percent of the total score.  Not including KCKCC instrumental and vocal groups, 31 middle school, high school and college jazz bands and vocal groups from three states took part in the festival, a 25 percent increase over the initial festival.

*Spotted on the Folly Theater's calendar: Join with a group of stellar Kansas City musicians as we depart on a narrated journey of musical “time travel.” Starting in the early 1900s, we explore how America’s “melting pot” of many cultures provided the ingredients for the development and evolution of our country’s original the true meaning of our country's original musical art form – Jazz! This Folly Theater Production is high energy, great toe-tappin’ fun! The event is April 4, 2013.

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Lisa Henry and the Kansas City Jazz Quintet at KCKCC

The multi-generational ensemble of saxophonist Jim Mair, trumpeter Hermon Mehari, pianist Charles Williams, bassist James Albright and drummer Michael Warren intrigued me, but the real reason I attended the closing concert of the Jazz Summit at Kansas City Kansas Community College was a rare opportunity to hear Lisa Henry. Yes, that Lisa Henry.

The vocalist has appeared infrequently in Kansas City in the last couple years. Her performance proved that area audiences have been deprived of a very fine talent. Approximately 50 people took in the sophisticated concert at the sonically pristine Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 27.

Like Deborah Brown, my pick for Kansas City's best jazz vocalist, Henry is clearly influenced by Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln. Yet Henry's voice isn't as rich and lustrous as Brown's. Henry compensates with an exceedingly intelligent approach. She knows precisely how to use her airier voice to pull songs through. Her "choo choo" scat on "Take the 'A' Train" never seemed cloying.  A knowing interpretation of "Body and Soul" injected new life into the stale standard.

Henry may have been the featured attraction, but the remainder of the band also shone. Henry repeatedly featured Albright in playfully competitive duets. Warren's elegant drumming elevated every selection. Mair's faultless solo on "Confirmation"- he introduced it as "a tune from Charlie Parker's sacred songbook"- reminded the audience of his immaculate tone. Mehari's brilliantly constructed solo on "Cherokee" proved that the media attention he's received in recent years hasn't impeded his development as an extraordinary jazz instrumentalist. (Here's an early example of the hype surrounding Mehari.) Williams' bluesy solos on "Summertime" opened the evening with flair.

The concert marked the conclusion of the week-long education-oriented Jazz Summit at KCKCC. Henry performs again Friday, May 4, at the Blue Room.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)