Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A recent KCUR report about an announcement by the American Jazz Museum’s new leader Cheptoo Kositani-Buckner reveals a classic good-news/bad-news scenario.  Kositani-Buckner recognizes that Kansas City lacks a proper jazz festival featuring international artists.  The disappointing aspect of her disclosure is that the museum presumably won’t present a proper festival in 2016.

*The Pitch offers a helpful survey of the summer jazz slate.

*Jessie Riggins reviewed the Dee Dee Bridgewater and Irvin Mayfield concert at the Folly Theater.

*Joe Klopus previewed Logan Richardson’s appearance at the Blue Room.  The saxophonist promoted his show on a morning television program.

*Calvin Wilson interviewed Bobby Watson.

*Chris Burnett provided an update about his forthcoming album with Dino Massa.

*Tweet o’ the Week: westportcoffeehouse- The Visceral Trio-classic organ, guitar, drum from Denton TX #westportcoffee1 #kcjazz

*Originally issued on Mercury and Clef, but ultimately housed on Verve, the (Charlie) Parker/(Norman) Granz studio collaborations were well-designed and thoughtfully conceived to display Bird's unparalleled talents in a variety of contexts. These included Parker's four to six piece ensembles (both working and pick-up groups); Latin Jazz efforts, some of which were labeled "South of the Border;" the orchestral Charlie Parker including his masterpieces with strings; standard Big Band; and Parker's prescient view of the Third Stream. Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes touches on all of these, including a couple of brief false starts on "If I Should Lose You" that were not included in the remarkable 2015 companion set, Charlie Parker With Strings: Deluxe Edition… Spanning the years 1949-1952, Unheard Bird: The Unissued Takes displays the immortal master of the alto saxophone Charlie Parker at the peak maturity of his prodigious talents.

*From a press release: 22nd Spirituality & All That Jazz Anniversary Celebration featuring 1994’s very first Special Guest Diane "Mama" Ray performing with Tim Whitmer & The Consort Band…  In 1962 Diane came to Kansas City from New York City, and was immediately caught up in the great Jazz and Blues scene here. 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 1. $7 at the door.

*From a press release: Johnson County Community College’s Winterlude is back!  It looks a bit different for 2016-17, but the intention is the same: to bring some of the best of Kansas City’s jazz and world music community to an audience in the comfortable performance spaces in the Carlsen Center. Winterlude 2016-17 will feature bands on a series of Sunday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m. from October to March. The Winterlude series will include a finale in Yardley Hall, Jazz 100. It will be a celebration of the anniversaries of a number of jazz greats: Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Mongo Santamaria.  Jazz 100 will feature Dizzy Gillespie’s long-time pianist, Danillo Perez, joined by Chris Potter (tenor sax), Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Ben Street (bass), Adam Cruz (drums), Roman Diaz (percussion) and Lizz Wright (vocals). Sunday, October 16: Will Matthews B-3 Organ Trio featuring Bobby Floyd and Marty Morrison, Polsky Theatre; Sunday, December 18: David Basse/Joe Cartwright Septet, Polsky Theatre; Sunday, January 22: Sons of Brasil, Polsky Theatre; Sunday, February 26: Alaturka, Polsky Theatre; Sunday, March 19: Jazz 100, Yardley Hall. Tickets can be purchased as the Winterlude Series, as individual concerts, or as part of a Performing Arts Series package.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)