Plastic Sax’s Favorite Albums and Performances of 2017

Favorite Albums by Kansas City Based Artists
1. Matt Otto and Ensemble Ibérica- Ibérica (Plastic Sax review)
2. Bobby Watson- Made in America (Plastic Sax review)
3. Hermon Mehari- Bleu (Plastic Sax review)
4. Dino Massa's Kansas City Quintet- Echoes of Europe (review at KCUR)
5. Julian Vaughn- Bona Fide
6. Matt Otto and Andy Ehling- Reunion (Plastic Sax review)
7. Deborah Brown- Kansas City, Here I Come
8. Steve Lambert- Seven Stories (Plastic Sax review)
9. The Matt Cook Collective- Along Those Lines (Plastic Sax review)
10. The Sextet- Blob Castle (Plastic Sax review)

Favorite Albums By Artists From Elsewhere
1. Miguel Zenón- Típico
2. Aruán Ortiz- Cub(an)ism
3. Yelena Eckemoff- Blooming Tall Phlox
4. Rob Luft- Riser
5. Rudresh Mahanthappa and the Indo-Pak Coalition- Agrima
6. Avishai Cohen- Cross My Palm With Silver
7. Tigran Hamasyan- An Ancient Observer
8. Kamasi Washington- Harmony of Difference
9. Ron Miles- I Am a Man
10. Various- The Passion of Charlie Parker (Plastic Sax review)

Favorite Performances by Kansas City Based Artists
1. Marilyn Maye- Quality Hill Playhouse (Plastic Sax review)
2. Matt Otto Trio with Anthony Wilson and Shay Estes- Blue Room
3. Alaturka- Polsky Theatre (Plastic Sax review)
4. Owen/Cox Dance Group and the People’s Liberation Big Band- Polsky Theatre (Plastic Sax review)
5. Gerald Spaits’ Sax & Violins- Westport Coffeehouse
6. The Project H- Black Dolphin
7. Eddie Moore, Dominique Sanders and Zach Morrow- Plaza Art Fair
8. Nate Nall Sextet- Homer’s Coffee House
9. Blair Bryant- The Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival
10. Stan Kessler Quartet- Black Dolphin

Favorite Performances by Artists From Elsewhere
1. Donny McCaslin- Folly Theater (Plastic Sax review)
2. Brian Blade Fellowship- Gem Theater
3. Danilo Pérez’s “Jazz 100”- Yardley Hall (Plastic Sax review)
4. Thundercat- Granada (Plastic Sax review)
5. Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison- Gem Theater (Plastic Sax review)
6. Ramsey Lewis- Gem Theater (review at The Kansas City Star)
7. Greg Tardy Trio- Blue Room (review at The Kansas City Star)
8. Flying Lotus- Midland (Plastic Sax review)
9. John Scofield- Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival (review at The Kansas City Star)
10. Victor Wooten Trio- Madrid Theatre (Plastic Sax review)

Plastic Sax conducted similar exercises in 2016 (albums and performances), 2015, 2014 (albums and performances), 2013 (albums and performances), 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(Original image of Thundercat at the Granada by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Jessie Riggins critiqued the appearance by Cyrus Chestnut and Warren Wolf at the Folly Theater.

*The week in jazz is surveyed by Joe Klopus.

*Alaturka’s concert at Polsky Theatre was reviewed by Mike Alley.

*Oleta Adams duets with José James on the closing track of his new album Love in a Time of Madness.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Shireen- Got a free ticket to listen to the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra perform at the Kauffman Center tonight. Amazing!!!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: Alaturka at Polsky Theatre

Tenor saxophonist Rich Wheeler opened Alaturka’s concert at Polsky Theatre on Sunday with an incantation that resembled an adhan, the Islamic call to worship.  His conjuring was an exceedingly welcome sound to adherents of the Kansas City based Turkish jazz group.

Alaturka commanded an inordinate amount of coverage at Plastic Sax in the first half of this decade.  Yet the innovative band has been out of commission lately.  Aside from a mention in a review of a 2016 Brandon Draper album, Alaturka hasn’t been cited at this site in a couple years.  About 100 people purchased $20 tickets to attend Sunday's reunion. 

Wheeler’s playing evoked Pharoah Sanders by way of Joe Henderson.  Beau Bledsoe wielded a Turkish oud with his customary fastidiousness.  Bassist Jeff Harshbarger contributed a smoky pulse that contrasted with Brandon Draper’s peripatetic percussion.  The addition of violinist Zsolt Eder on a few intriguing selections transformed Alaturka into a chamber music group. 

Bledsoe joked that he and his colleagues no longer resemble the men in the dated publicity photo on the cover of the program.  Their visages may have changed since the formation of the band in 2007, but the men in Alaturka sound as magnificent as ever.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Alaturka and Mike Dillon

Aside from their adventurous approaches to jazz, Alaturka and Malachy Papers wouldn’t seem to have much in common.  Alaturka favors a chamber music approach while Malachy Papers brings the noise.  Yet members of both Kansas City bands wound up sharing the stage of a midtown barroom during a 2011 double bill.  Alaturka performs Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the RecordBar.  The peripatetic percussionist Mike Dillon, a member of the dormant Malachy Papers collective, leads a band at the Brick on Sunday, Feb. 8.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle created a video for their cover of Erykah Badu’s “Time’s a Wastin’”.  The collective was also featured in a Local Listen segment on KCUR.

*KC Jazz Lark uploaded a vintage Pete Eye album featuring Bob Branstetter and Tommy Ruskin to YouTube.  Why does this seem eerily familiar to me?

*Hermon Mehari is featured in a 435 Magazine profile.

*Zack Albetta was the subject of a KCUR story about moving from Kansas City to Los Angeles.

*The Wrong Kata Trio was documented in a Live @ KJHK session.

*The Prism Quartet, an ensemble that includes Zach Sherman, Assistant Professor of Saxophone at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance, has released Heritage/Evolution, an album that includes contributions from today’s top jazz saxophonists and conceptualists including Rudresh Mahanthappa and Miguel Zenón.  (Tip via M.S.)

*The Jorge Arana Trio and the Project H will perform at the 2015 edition of the Middle of the Map festival.

*Randy Weston is among Joe Dimino’s latest interview subjects.

*Tweet o’ the Week: The Project H- We enjoy playing 4 people who might not normally seek us out. Between @folkalliance and @motmfest we should be good in that dept this Spring

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous- The July 4 lineup for the Iowa City Jazz festival is killer! Why can't KC have that?

*From the American Jazz Museum: "Women have always played a significant role in developing the music through creative compositions, stellar performances and their work behind the scenes in presenting the music.  Unfortunately, these contributions have gone either unrecognized or were written out of the history books. The American Jazz Museum takes pride in shinning the light on their fabulous efforts", states Gregory A. Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of the American Jazz Museum… Highlights of this year’s programs include: 18 performances in the Award-Winning Blue Room jazz club, featuring local, regional and national women jazz artists.

*From Michael Pagán: Join us for a performance of the NU All-Star Jazz Quartet, a group of four distinguished jazz performers and educators with degrees from Northwestern University. This event will take place at the prestigious Blue Room… on Thursday, February 12th, 7-11pm.  The quartet features Tim Aubuchon, saxophone; Michael Pagán, piano; Hans Sturm, bass; Michael Brothers, drums… This event is free and open to the public.

*From Johnson County Community College: The spring 2015 season of the JCCC Jazz Series will kick off Tuesday, Feb. 24, with a group called the Clint Ashlock Trio. The series, which showcases the talents of local jazz musicians, is free and open to the public. Performances will take place at noon on Tuesdays for seven consecutive weeks. They will be held in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center unless otherwise noted. Feb. 24- The Music of Chet Baker, Clint Ashlock Trio. March 3- Pam Baskin-Watson Quartet. March 10- Bryan Hicks and Rod Fleeman. March 17- Rich Hill Organ Trio (Polsky Theatre). March 24- Chris Clarke Trio. March 31- 3 X 2. April 7- Passport.

*From Beau Bledsoe: Alaturka  announces their first performance of 2015 at the recordBar with special guest percussionist, John Kizilarmut.  Tuesday, Feb 10th 7pm.  Alaturka was formed in 2009 with the vision of creating an equal “auditory handshake” between two musical cultures, American jazz and Turkish classical music… Rich Wheeler tenor  - saxophone. Beau Bledsoe  - oud, guitar. Jeff Harshbarger -  bass. Brandon Draper  - percussion. Special guest: John Kizilarmut - percussion. $15 advance $18 door.

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: … we'll be running dinner specials for each show.  Friday, February 6, 8pm: Music by the Rich Wheeler Quartet… a powerhouse jazz ensemble… Rich Wheeler on tenor saxophone, TJ Martley on piano, Bill McKemy on bass and Sam Wisman on drums.  $5 cover.  What's for dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast with Spinach and Mushrooms in a Dijon cream sauce with wild rice and vegetable medley, $11.95. Saturday, February 7, 8pm: Parallax- …Stan on trumpet and flugelhorn, Roger Wilder on Fender Rhodes piano, Bill McKemy on upright and electric basses and sousaphone, and BOTH Ryan Lee and Brian Steever on drums and cymbals and whatnot. It’s a project that… takes everyone along for the ride, like in some kind of twin-engined pan-galactic space yacht. $5 cover. What's for dinner: Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo, $12. 95. Sunday, February 8, 10am - 2pm: Sunday Jazz Brunch: Ben Leifer-  Ben Leifer is one of Kansas City’s most in-demand jazz bassists, an e. Come feast on Waffles Benedict, Mimosas… No cover.

Biz

In a blog post explicating his picks for the 8th Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2013, the locally-based jazz critic Chris Robinson suggested that "with something like 700 albums receiving votes, I can say with some confidence that there are way too many albums being recorded.  There’s a lot of quality, but the small jazz market, I feel, may be dangerously flooded with music that nobody will ever hear – quality or not."

While my heart insists that Robinson is wrong, the numbers indicate otherwise.  A detailed examination of new data leads to a difficult question: How can Kansas City-based jazz artists vie for international attention amid the ongoing marginalization of the music?

Robinson points out that his ballot contained the sole vote cast for Alaturka's Yalniz (#309) in the poll of over 100 jazz critics.  Only a handful of additional albums with Kansas City connections received any form of acknowledgement.  A listing: Frank Wess' Magic 101 (#22), Pat Metheny's Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol. 20 (#30), Lester Young's Boston 1950 (#140) and Harold O'Neal's Man On the Street (#453.)

The lack of consensus is startling.  Less than half the participants included the highest-ranked album- Wayne Shorter's Without a Net- in their top ten.  Prominent releases of local interest including Pat Metheny's The Orchestrion Project, Eldar Djangarov's Breakthrough, the Next Collective's Cover Art (featuring Logan Richardson) and Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day weren't recognized at all.  That leaves little hope for self-released titles by the likes of Mark Lowrey, Paul Shinn and Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle.

Besides, it's safe to say that only a few dozen of the albums receiving votes sold over 1,000 units.  The Music Timeline published by Google last week makes the situation seem even more hopeless.  The overwhelming majority of jazz that's heard by Google Play users was recorded in the 1950s.  Not even the inclusion of pop-based artists like Michael Bublé, Kenny G and Norah Jones in the jazz category prevents the genre from flatlining after 1965.  The The Village Voice's 41st Pazz & Jop Music Critics Poll- a historically jazz-friendly forum- verified the trend.  The highest-ranked jazz album for 2013 comes in at #76.

Given that environment, it seems unlikely that Kansas City can reassert itself as a vital cradle of jazz in the new millennium.  But why not?  There's a lot of great music being made in Kansas City.  As Robinson notes of Alaturka's latest release, "(h)ad the album been on ECM or a similarly large (label) with promotion and distribution muscle, I bet it would have cleaned up."

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Plastic Sax's Top Albums of 2013

Plastic Sax's Favorite Kansas City-Related Jazz Albums of 2013
1. Pat Metheny- Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, vol. 20. (Plastic Sax review)
2. Bobby Watson- Check Cashing Day. (Plastic Sax review)
3. Pat Metheny- The Orchestrion Project. (Plastic Sax review)
4. Mark Lowrey- Tangos for 18th Street. (Plastic Sax review)
5. Frank Wess- Magic 101.
6. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- Freedom of Expression. (Plastic Sax review)
7. Alaturka- Yalniz. (Plastic Sax review)
8. Eldar Djangarov Trio- Breakthrough.
9. Karrin Allyson- Yuletide Hideaway. (Plastic Sax review)
10. The Paul Shinn Trio- Reason Pure. (Plastic Sax review)

Plastic Sax's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2013 From Elsewhere
1. Dave Holland- Prism
2. Terri Lyne Carrington- Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue
3. Gary Burton- Guided Tour
4. Joe Lovano & Us Five- Cross Culture
5. Orrin Evans- It Was Beauty
6. Ben Goldberg- Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues
7. Brad Goode- Chicago Red
8. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Gamak
9. Damir Out Loud- Graduation Day
10. Ben Wolfe- From Here I See

Similar year-end listings were published at Plastic Sax in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Best Jazz Performances of 2013

There's still plenty of live music to be experienced in 2013.  Logan Richardson is returning to Kansas City in a few weeks.  And I intend to make the Green Lady Lounge my home away from home in December.  Even so, 2013 has already been an immensely rewarding year for jazz fans.  Here are two lists of the performances I enjoyed most.

Locally-based musicians
1. The People's Liberation Big Band- RecordBar
2. Lisa Henry- The Conference Center at Kansas City Kansas Community College
3. Matt Otto/Ben Pinder Quartet- Westport Coffee House
4. Jeff Harshbarger Quartet- Take Five Coffee
5. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra with Randy Brecker- Helzberg Hall
6. Rich Wheeler Quartet- Take Five Coffee
7. Vine Street Rumble- Gem Theater
8. Alaturka- Recital Hall at the Carlsen Center
9. Mark Lowrey, Bob Bowman and Sam Wisman- The Majestic
10. Andy McGhie Quartet- Prairie Village Jazz Festival

Touring musicians
1. Julian Lage and Jorge Roeder- Yardley Hall
2. Miguel Zenón and the Rhythm Collective- Blue Room
3. Kurt Elling- Gem Theater
4. Dave Douglas Quintet- Blue Room
5. Eliane Elias Trio- Folly Theater
6. Jerry Dodgion with Rob Scheps- Take Five Coffee
7. James Carter- Folly Theater
8. Caroline Davis- Green Lady Lounge
9. Kenny Barron Trio- Folly Theater
10. Kenny Garrett- Folly Theater

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Jeff Harshbarger

Jeff Harshbarger, Plastic Sax's 2012 Person of the Year, leads a jam session Monday, November 11, at the Blue Room.  He performs with Alaturka in the embedded footage.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A contributor to UMKC's student newspaper reviewed a recital.   (Via Offstage.)

*A commentator admires the "seriously beautiful music" contained on Alaturka's new Yalniz album.

*A review of Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle's The Freedom of Expression at Nextbop notes that the album is "straight-ahead in the contemporary sense."  Another reviewer suggests that the project possesses a "combustible energy."

*The Kansas City Star offers a review of Randy Brecker's appearance with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.  Anthony Rodgers also reviewed the concert.

*Bill Blankenship provides background on Bob Bowman, Todd Strait and other participants in the latest Topeka Jazz Workshop concert.  Chuck Berg reviewed the show.  (Via Offstage.)

*The man behind Phonologotron enjoys a current project.

*A writer for a British newspaper opines that Kansas City's "jazz district today is sadly a shadow of its former self."

*Here's the trailer for a new documentary about former Count Basie sideman Pauly Cohen.

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- I'm afraid you're just showing your ignorance. Yes, jazz in Kansas City is on the rise....in Kansas City. When you and Jazzlark write about how local artists are world class it's just sad. The artistic distance between Matt Otto and Chris Potter, or Mark Lowry and Brad Mehldau, is vast. Yes the scene is drastically improving, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking that the music can compete on a national level. Go to New York for awhile and learn what good really is.

*Tweet o' the Week: Kevin Mahogany- Finished 5 nights at Birdland with 5 different bands!!

*From the Folly Theater: Eliane Elias will be backed by Marc Johnson and Mauricio Zottarelli at her concert on Saturday, April 13.

*From Ron Carlson: One update to the calendar. The Rob Scheps / Jerry Dodgion Quintet will now be playing the Blue Room on Friday, April 12th, so we have moved the Lucky Brewgrille date from Friday to Saturday, April 13th 7-10pm.  This will be a musical party event to close out Rob and Jerry's two week tour of the region.

*From Mike Metheny: The Metheny Music Foundation has awarded its first college scholarship. The news item can be found here. Since 2007 the Foundation has also been offering summer music camp scholarships to Lee's Summit students and will do so again in '13. Those winners will be announced in May.

*From the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra has an important concert coming up (Thursday, April 4th, 2013 – Muriel Kauffman Theatre/KCPA) which celebrates the 10th Anniversary Performing Arts Season by paying tribute to the “75th Anniversary” one of the most famous/important jazz events of all-time:  Benny Goodman’s historic 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert.

*From 12th Street Jump: This week we celebrate the music of Randy Brecker with our special guest, Randy Brecker himself!  The gang plays "So, What's Your Question" and reveals even more about this jazz great.

*From the American Jazz Museum #1: Jammin' at the Gem.  Saturday, March 23, 8 p.m.  The Gem Theater.  The Monterey Jazz Festival, the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world, has presented nearly every major jazz star—from Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong to Esperanza Spalding and Trombone Shorty—since it was founded in 1958. World-renowned for its artistic excellence, sophisticated informality, and longstanding mission to create and support year-round jazz education and performance programs in local, regional, national, and international venues, Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 55th Anniversary Celebration continues this commitment in 2013 with its third North American Tour. Featuring leading critically-acclaimed, GRAMMY®-winning jazz artists, the all-star band consists of bassist and musical director Christian McBride, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, saxophonist Chris Potter, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Benny Green, and drummer Lewis Nash. Embracing the past, present, and future of jazz, Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 55th Anniversary Celebration will perform an assortment of classic jazz repertoire and original compositions by band members.

*From the American Jazz Museum #2: Thursday, April 4.  6:00pm until 7:00pm.  Free Conversation with Jazz Violinist, Regina Carter in The Atrium - a special Take Five event! During Carter's visit, a variety of topics may be addressed. They may include how our history can inform our personal creative works and an exploration of jazz music. Yacouba Sissoko, a master Kora player, will join Carter.  Attendees are invited to attend the Blue Room performance by Matt Kane's KC Generations Quintet at 7:00 p. m. following this special Take Five event.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Tim Finn wrote an extensive profile of trombonist Carly Meyers.

*The Kansas City Star reviewed Mark Southerland's collaboration with New Ear.  A blogger also noted last weekend's event.

*Libby Hanssen documents the sacrilegious reunion of Jazz Discharge.

*KCJazzLark quotes jazz giants recalling Kansas City's illustrious jazz past.

*Joe Klopus previews Matthew Rybicki's March 9 concert at the Folly Theater.  The bassist will be accompanied by pianist Christian Sands, drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., trumper Stan Kessler and saxophonist Matt Otto.

*A doofus played selections by Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle and Alaturka on a program about Kansas City's music scene on KCUR's Up to Date last week.

*Here's footage of Tony Tixier performing with Diverse at a house concert on March 3.

*The Kansas City Business Journal reports that the Kill Devil Club is expanding to Louisville.

*Maye-den Voyage, Marily Maye's new show, opened in New York this week.

*Tweet o' the Week: kim horgan- @nelson_atkins listening to Black House Collective. Music is great. Love that its in the Ancient/Egyptian galleries. photo.

*Comment of the Week: Anonymous- How about 12th Street Jump? Its now their 4th year sending live Kansas City jazz on the radio waves to over 50 cities across the country every week!

*From Chris Hazelton: Cory Weeds, a fantastic saxophonist from Vancouver, will be joining my trio for these two: KCK Community College "Jazz by the Lake" Series, Thursday March 7th @ noon (and) Take 5 Coffee + Bar, Friday March 8th, 8-10pm.

*From Clint Ashlock: I'm writing to you as the acting artistic director of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra wanting to inform you that on Friday March 15th, jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker will be giving a masterclass at Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center, beginning at 3:00pm. You and your students are invited for this free event. I've been to a few of Randy's classes over the years and he is an excellent teacher. There are many concepts he's related that have directly helped my approach to playing the trumpet, and playing music in general. The kicker is that if you and/or your students are in attendance for the masterclass, you will also receive a free ticket (normally $40-50) to the concert that evening at 8:00 in Helzberg, which is being billed as "The Trumpet Summit" and will not only feature Randy, but each of the KCJO trumpet players. It should be a great program!

*From Jim Mair: Monday April 8.  Dave Douglas Master Class with drummer Rudy Royston.  10:00am till noon.  Free to KCKCC Students.  $5.00 admission to the general public.  Band Room at KCKCC.  Sponsored by The Kansas City Jazz Alliance and the KCKCC Music Club.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Alaturka- Yalniz

The average age of Alaturka's audience at the Jazz Winterlude festival in January was about 65.  I heard the phrase "Turkish jazz" bandied about with suspicion before the band began playing and feared that outraged advocates of traditional swing would walk out during the first selection.  I underestimated both the audience's willingness to accept new sounds and the persuasive virtuosity of the members of Alaturka. 

The stellar set by string master Beau Bledsoe, saxophonist Rich Wheeler, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and percussionist Brandon Draper won over the entirety of the room.  The audience even demanded- and received- an encore.

Tamam Abi, Alaturka' 2010 debut release, was one of my favorite albums of 2010.  While the new release Yalniz is every bit the equal of its predecessor, it documents the band's rapid evolution. 

Not only is Yalniz less brash than Tamam Abi, the project includes vocals by Nihan Yesil.  The result is a sublime album that emphasizes the Turkish side of the Turkish-jazz equation.  Having already proven that their concept works, the members of Alaturka seems less intent on demonstrating their jazz chops than on developing new textures.  The opening track "Divane Aşık Gibi" is representative of the captivating album.

Alaturka's album release party for Yalniz is Sunday, March 10, at the RecordBar.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Alaturka

Alaturka, Kansas City's foremost Turkish jazz ensemble, will perform twice on Saturday, January 18.  The ensemble plays in the afternoon at the Jazz Winterlude festival and at 10:30 p.m. at Take Five Coffee + Bar.  Southern Johnson County for the win!

The Ghost of a Jazz Club Past

The specter of Jardine's loomed large Friday at Kansas City Academy.

"When I got the idea for this concept," Brandon Draper explained before Alaturka's performance. "This is what I had in mind."

Draper said that the ensemble's monthly gig at Jardine's had been a staple of Alaturka's schedule. The new Grassoots Concert Series was partly inspired as a response to that loss. The gambit seems to be working. A full house of over 75 paid $10 and $15 each for the performance.

Because I've written extensively about Alaturka at Plastic Sax and elsewhere I'll simply suggest that its performance was no less exceptional than usual. Beau Bledsoe, Draper, Rich Wheeler and 2011 Plastic Sax Person of the Year Jeff Harshbarger are four of Kansas City's premier musicians. Tamam Abi was my fourth favorite "jazz" album of 2010. I also interviewed Alaturka founder Beau Bledsoe a couple years ago.

The performance space at 7933 Main Street features bleacher-style seating, fine acoustics and a family atmosphere. Rather than being nuisances, the children on hand Friday were among the most attentive and enthusiastic members of the audience. The sole distractions were occasional ambient noises from the halls of the school and a piercing light above the venue's main entrance.

A question-and-answer segment- often a dubious proposition- was excellent. Harshbarger and Wheeler are remarkably adept at articulating complex ideas.

Sure, I miss Jardine's. I like Beena, the club's owner. And I enjoy adult beverages. Even so, from an obsessive music fan's perspective, the performance space at Kansas City Academy represents an upgrade.

(Original pre-show image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Malachy Papers

A seemingly unlikely jazz-related double bill takes place Friday, August 12, at Davey's Uptown Rambler's Club. Alaturka, the exquisitely tasteful Turkish jazz ensemble led by thoughtful multi-instrumentalist Beau Bledsoe performs with Malachy Papers, an in-your-face ensemble that features Mike Dillon and Mark Southerland. Relatively conservative jazz fans are tossed a lifeline in the embedded video when a Monk composition kicks in at the 4:25 mark. "Misterioso" indeed.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Here's the initial word on Karrin Allyson's forthcoming album. (Tip via Steve Paul.)

*KCJazzLark challenges the gist of Plastic Sax's March 7 post.

*A jazz-related art exhibit is plugged by Steve Penn.

*Mary Stallings is praised by Joe Klopus in his most recent column.

*Joe Lovano's new tribute to Charlie Parker received another rapturous review. The saxophonist performs at the Folly Theater on April 2.

*Tweet o' the Week: bandcalledmouth: Just looking at our web-stats... 2,500+ downloads from over 35 countries since last May. Nice! Check out our site

*I've been offline for almost two weeks. I apologize for allowing comment approval for the ongoing conversation to lag.

*From a press release: Wednesday, May 4, 2011; Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Extravaganza: KCKCC Big Band, Jazz Combo and Vocal Jazz Ensemble "The Standard" under the direction of Jim Mair, Jurgen Welge, John Stafford & Mike Ning. Music by Count Basie, The Beatles, Freddie Hubbard, Thelonious Monk, Bobby McFerrin, Charlie Parker, Pat Metheny, Thad Jones and so much more!

*From Jim Mair: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Kansas City Jazz Alliance in cooperation with Kansas City Kansas Community College are pleased to collaborate on the 10th annual Kansas City Jazz Camp. The dates are June 6-10, 2011. We have assembled an outstanding faculty and would very much enjoy having your fine students ages 13 and up to participate. The jazz camp includes classes in jazz improvisation for beginners, through advanced along with small group performance ensembles. Master classes and jazz history will also be included. The week will conclude with an afternoon student performance at the 12th Street Rag Room in the Downtown Marriot hotel... If you would like further information please give me a call. 913-288-7503.

(Original image of Alaturka sign in Brussels, Belgium, by Plastic Sax.)

Plastic Sax's Top Ten Concerts and Albums of 2010

A couple years ago a Plastic Sax reader suggested that I reveal my personal musical preferences. I demurred. Keeping my tastes to myself seemed appropriate at the time. As this site has become more prominent, however, whatever veil of anonymity once existed has been shredded. Here are my favorite jazz albums and jazz performances of 2010.

Albums
1. Bobby Watson- The Gates BBQ Suite
2. Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green- Apex
3. Esperanza Spalding- Chamber Music Society
4. Alaturka- Tamam Abi
5. Mulatu Astatke- Mulatu Steps Ahead
6. Brad Mehldau- Highway Rider
7. Hearts of Darkness (self-titled)
8. The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City (self-titled)
9. The Bad Plus- Never Stop
10. Mark Lowrey- Live at Jardine's

Performances
1. Marilyn Maye- Jardine's
2. Bobby Watson- Blue Room
3. Matt Otto Quartet- Jardine's
4. Pat Metheny- Uptown Theater
5. Stefon Harris and Blackout- White Recital Hall
6. Deborah Brown- Blue Room
7. Alaturka- Jardine's
8. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra- Yardley Hall
9. The People's Liberation Big Band- Record Bar
10. Bobby Watson with students- GiGi's Jazz Inn

(Original image of Sachal Vasandani at the Folly Theater by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A.G. Sulzberger of The New York Times chats with Rod Fleeman, Dave Stephens and Gerald Spaits about the indignities associated with performing Christmas music.

*KCJazzLark praises Alaturka. His photos, as usual, are outstanding.

*CBS aired a feature on the recently unearthed Savory collection. (Tip via KCJazzLark.)

*According to a source in this article, Clint Eastwood considered shooting Bird on location in Kansas City.

*Here's a review of Killer Strayhorn's latest album.

*Tweet o' the week: SwingSalsaTango: Tonight! Salsa is at the Grand Emporium on Main downtown KCMO. Its the Salsa Family Reunion everyone will be there!

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated to include December's gigs. (Please let me know if your dates aren't listed.)

*From the American Jazz Museum: Acclaimed jazz pianist Joey Calderazzo will conduct a master class followed by a session entitled Jazz and the Modern Music Industry. Panelists will include Mr. Calderazzo, Bobby Watson, Director of Jazz Studies, UMKC & Gerald Dunn, Manager & Entertainment Director, the Blue Room. 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the Blue Room. Session will be moderated by AJM Director of Education Dennis Winslett.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A water main recently broke at 18th & Vine. According to this account, neither the American Jazz Museum nor the Gem Theater were damaged. Additional reports are here and here.

*Excellent insights and images related to the new Friday night jam session downstairs at the Mutual Musicians Foundation are provided by KCJazzLark.

*Will Matthews, President of the Mutual Musicians Foundation, reports that "90% of the membership is delinquent in their dues."

*Here's the entire Jazz Session podcast interview with Steve Cardenas. The special Plastic Sax version is still available here.

*Here's another rave review of Alaturka's debut album. The band performs at the Turkish Days In New York festival September 16-17.

*Steve Penn shares his impressions of the most recent Charlie Parker memorial service.

*Ink provides pictures of a recent Lonnie McFadden set. (Log-in required.)

*Via Twitter: Starting Sept. 20 The Majestic will serve breakfast everyday @7AM including Sunday Jazz Brunch every Sunday. That sounds good, but what I really want is a listing of their September jazz bookings. The Majestic's online calendar hasn't been updated since last month.

*A local jazz festival has quietly disappeared. Grandview's annual Jazz Blast has been renamed Music On Main.

*The next week is particularly appealing for Kansas City jazz fans. In addition to the Prairie Village Jazz Festival (9/11), the Crossroads Music Festival (9/11) and the start of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra's new season (9/10), the following dates merit special notice:

*From Michael Pagan: Mike will pay tribute to jazz piano master Bill Evans, who passed away on September 15, 1980 by playing 3 hours of Bill Evans compositions and arrangements (at Cafe Trio on September 15). Additional details are at MySpace.

*Via Facebook: Pianist Josh Nelson and bassist Ryan McGillicuddy visit from Los Angeles to team up with saxophonist Matt Otto and drummer Zack Albetta for two nights of jazz at Jardine's. Thursday 9/9 will feature all original compositions by all four members and Friday 9/10 will feature all jazz standards with arrangements by all four members.)

*Mixed Method plays its final show of 2010 at Jardine's on Saturday.

*Winard Harper returns to The Blue Room on Saturday.

*Kerry Strayer leads a 17-piece band Sunday, September 12, at Jardine's.

*Don't forget about the Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Alatuka's Tamam Abi

As with most acts of artistic consequence, the live performances and the recorded work of Kansas City's Alaturka offer two entirely different experiences.

I happen to wholeheartedly agree with The Star's assessment of the Turkish jazz quartet's July 25 appearance at Jardine's. Sait Arat's darbuka and Jeff Harshbarger's bass became almost tangibly physical presences in the small room. The night's biggest revelation was the playing of Rich Wheeler. He's received little attention at Plastic Sax, but I now realize that he's one Kansas City's premier saxophonists.

While Wheeler's saxophone dominated the sound field at Jardine's, it's Beau Bledsoe's guitar that shines brightest on Tamam Abi, the band's debut recording. His remarkably light-fingered playing sets the tone. Tamam Abi is a tasteful but never benumbing document.

I was alone the first couple times I played the album. I couldn't imagine any broadminded listener not enjoying the immaculate recording. I was later disabused of that notion. Although it contains a wide variety of moods and melodic hooks, Tamam Abi is capable of repelling conservative advocates of mainstream jazz. Conversely, I've found one listener without any allegiance to jazz who adores it.

Alaturka fits in well with the musical space I already inhabit. New recordings of the Ethiopian jazz of Mulatu Astatke and the Afrobeat of Kansas City's Hearts of Darkness are two of my top picks of 2010. Tamam Abi will almost certainly claim another spot on my year-end top ten list.

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Additional insights may be gleaned from my Plastic Sax interview with Bledsoe and this performance footage. Alaturka's next performance is August 19 at Crosstown Station.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)