Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Purna Loka Ensemble is the subject of Libby Hanssen’s audio feature for KCUR.

*Roger Wilder, Andrew Ouellette, Max Levy, Paul Roberts, Sean Murdy and Matt Villinger are the winners of the American Jazz Museum’s Charlie Parker Song Contest.  Corresponding videos stream at the Facebook account of The Blue Room.

*The Kansas City jazz advocate Yoko Takemura notes Hermon Mehari’s participation in a Parisian fashion show in Jazz Tokyo.

*Logan Richardson contributes to Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds, the Blue Note Records debut of the South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Green Lady Lounge- Steve Lambert - Naima Rose (Composer: Steve Lambert) #Jazz #NowPlaying #KansasCityJazz Green Lady Radio

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Let Your Backbone Slip

A mild commotion broke out at Capsule on Thursday, July 25, when a phone started playing music during a performance by a trio led by Peter Schlamb.  The panic during the 15 seconds it took a woman to silence her device resembled a tense scene from a horror film in which bloodthirsty monsters are attracted to noise.

The ostensible goal of the monthly Spine Showcase recitals is to provide a forum for forward-thinking jazz artists to perform for attentive audiences.  The brief interruption caused by the noisy phone allowed the 50 other people in the room to silently castigate the embarrassed offender.  The excellent performance by Schlamb (keyboards and vibraphone), DeAndre Manning (electric bass) and Ryan J. Lee (drums) helped judgy patrons quickly forget about the disruption.  The free beer and the absence of a cover charge also helped to allay any grievances.

Following a break featuring complimentary cake, Lee led a group featuring Andrew McGhie (saxophone), Andrew Ouellette (keyboards) and DeAndre Manning (electric bass).  The quartet evoked the most compelling fusion groups of the late 1970s.  Even though Lee’s emphatic drumming recoiled off the concrete floor like dangerous shrapnel, the sound field for both sets was remarkably clear.

Spine’s proposition is less translucent.  The initiative, intent and effort of the primary organizer are undeniably commendable, but I’m less convinced about the master plan.  I’m not among the 59 people who donated $4,655 to Spine’s successful Kickstarter campaign.  The organization’s assertion that it’s “showcasing local musicians playing the original material they don't get to perform anywhere else” seems disingenuous.

A free-jazz freakout at the Brick and a jubilant brass band excursion at the Ship transpired on the same night as the concert by Schlamb and Lee.  I’m fairly certain the featured musicians weren’t given any directives at either venerable nightclub.  The people who operate Kansas City’s music venues might rightfully insist that competing directly against a non-profit project that offers free beer and free admission is decidedly unhelpful.

Spine’s most valuable mandate is the creation of another proper listening room.  Boorish gabbing during musical performances of any stripe is my biggest pet peeve.  The grievance is particularly painful during acoustic jazz performances.  I’m grateful for any opportunity to hear innovative musicians work in respectful environments.  That’s why I’ve been a regular at the improvised music showcases hosted by Westport Coffee House, RecordBar and the 1900 Building for years.  Talking is strongly discouraged during the frequent jazz performances at the establishments.

I also expect to pay a cover charge and buy my own drinks.  I voluntarily dropped a few bills in the bucket on Thursday.  I’d like to see Spine make the transition into a self-sustaining entity for which substantial ticket and drink sales cover all expenses.  A robust jazz scene should be rooted in organic audience development rather than in sympathetic handouts.

(Original image of Peter Schlamb, DeAndre Manning and Ryan J. Lee by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: Lonnie McFadden's "Charlie Parker: Past, Present & Future" at the Gem Theater

Kansas City’s top entertainer oversaw a jubilant tribute to Kansas City’s most famous son at the Gem Theater on Sunday.  In many ways, Lonnie McFadden’s "Charlie Parker: Past, Present & Future" presentation was a McFadden Brothers concert with an extra helping of chatter and contributions from two auspicious guests.  Most members of the audience of more than 400 wouldn’t have had it any other way at the momentous event.

McFadden, the man known as “Mr. Kansas City,” is a jazz saxophonist, tap dancer and Las Vegas-style showman.  He was joined by his brother, trumpeter Ronnie McFadden, and a core band of pianist Andrew Ouellette, guitarist Matt Hopper, bassist DeAndre Manning and drummer Tyree Johnson.  The 100-minute show featured appearances by Kansas City’s grand master Bobby Watson and the New York based saxophonist Tivon Pennicott.

McFadden insisted that he’s a dedicated Parker scholar in a lengthy appreciation at the start of the culmination of the fifth annual Charlie Parker Celebration.  He may have felt the extended commentary was necessary because the show didn’t feature a single Parker composition or any attempts to recreate Parker’s sound.

If McFadden’s verbal acclamations represented the “past” portion of the show’s title, the vital music defined the “present.”  The McFaddens stepped aside to allow Pennicott to showcase his imposing technique on “Lush Life” and his original “Never Been.”  Watson sounded as magnificent as ever on his compositions “Sweet Dreams” and “Wheel Within a Wheel.”  McFadden’s duet with his daughter Chloe on “Unforgettable” and a tap dance routine with Ronnie were sure-fire audience pleasers.

McFadden insisted that the “future” component of the show’s title was represented by the comparatively young musicians Hopper, Johnson, Manning and Ouellette.  While they played flawlessly, none of them has yet revealed an intention to become a transgressive innovator in the tradition of Parker.  Area jazz fans will need to wait for Logan Richardson’s return to Kansas City on September 8 to hear a truer representation of Parker’s futuristic vision.

Setlist: Birdland, A Night in Tunisia, Never Been, Lush Life, Cherokee, Sweet Dreams, Wheel Within a Wheel, tap dancing, Unforgettable, Kansas City

(Original images by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Lonnie McFadden- Live at Green Lady Lounge

Lonnie McFadden’s Live at Green Lady Lounge will immediately become the most indispensable souvenir for visitors to Kansas City when it’s released later this year.  The recording- a winning blend of cornball shenanigans and refined artfulness- captures the festive atmosphere at a raucous Kansas City jazz club.

McFadden has long been admired as the trumpet playing component of the Las Vegas-style duo The McFadden Brothers.  He acknowledges his act’s association with Wayne Newton in the introduction to “What a Wonderful World,” but the album’s occasional bouts of acute sentimentality are balanced by fiery straight-ahead jazz. 

“In the Club” is a funky instrumental co-written by McFadden and bassist DeAndre Manning.  “Voyager” is a fiery showcase for pianist Andrew Ouellette.  Drummer Tyree Johnson rounds out the outstanding young band that motivates McFadden to apply his often underutilized jazz chops.

By the time he breaks into his signature tap dancing on the final selection of the 67-minute album, McFadden has convincingly demonstrated that he’s more than an outstanding entertainer.  Live at Green Lady proves that McFadden is a bona fide Kansas City jazz cat.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Steven Lambert- Seven Stories

A Plastic Sax review of a 2011 performance by Steve Lambert suggested that the young Kansas City saxophonist evoked past masters like Johnny Griffin, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and John Coltrane.  Lambert’s new album Seven Stories confirms that early assessment.

Lambert’s aggressive attack, muscular tone and defiantly old-school approach have become more pronounced in the intervening years. Aside from the electric bass on “Mente de Corazon,” few elements of Seven Stories would have sounded out of place on the 1959 recording Bags & Trane.  As with the classic release by Milt Jackson and John Coltrane, the selections on Seven Stories consist of rounds of solos following the statement of a theme.

The energetic playing of Lambert, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, pianist Andrew Ouellette, bassists Ben Leifer and Dominique Sanders and drummer Brad Williams counteracts the somewhat stodgy format. Lambert’s thrilling soloing on the rousing “Bells of War” would be capable of bringing audiences to their feet at the Green Lady Lounge or the Mutual Musicians Foundation, forums in which the stirring music of Lambert and his cohorts is best experienced.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Matt Kane & the Kansas City Generations Sextet- Acknowledgement

Creating a compelling straight-ahead album in the style of the Jazz Messengers is difficult in 2015.  Yet Acknowledgement, the new release by Matt Kane and the Kansas City Generations Sextet, manages to infuse the inauspicious format with fresh energy.

The New York-based drummer has devised an essential document of Kansas City’s jazz scene.  Kane, saxophonists Steve Lambert and Michael Shults, trumpeter Hermon Mehari, pianist Andrew Ouellette and bassist Ben Leifer apply their formidable talents to the compositions of Ahmad Alaadeen, Pat Metheny and Bobby Watson.

The pairing of excellent musicians with the melodies that have come to define the Kansas City sound is consistently persuasive.

Kane deserves credit for allowing Shults and Lambert to shine.  Their contributions consistently elevate Acknowledgement.  The pair tear it up on Alaadeen’s “ASR."

The programming of Alaadeen’s “And the Beauty of It All” and Watson’s “Wheel Within a Wheel”- the familiar selections are album’s fifth and sixth tracks- is capable of acting as an emotional one-two punch on Kansas City's jazz advocates.

For anyone who has logged significant time at clubs including the Blue Room and the Green Lady Lounge in recent years, Acknowledgement sounds like home.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Former Hannibal residents Matt Kane, Michael Shults and Andrew Ouellette are featured in their hometown newspaper.

*The Pitch recommends a gig by Dominique Sanders’ trio.

*Karrin Allyson is among Joe Dimino’s recent interview subjects.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Green Lady Lounge- Easter at Green Lady Lounge: 627 Big Band 8:30-11:30 celebrating a year of Sunday gigs at Green Lady. Never a cover.

*Comment o’ the Week: Saxman- The only thing less relevant than jazz to most people is the "performance art piece".

*From Shades of Jade: ...Shades of Jade has gotten off to a great start partnering up with local bands in the Kansas City area... Now they have extended their reach to an up and coming band from Minneapolis, MI called Nooky Jones! … these two bands have similar influences in neo soul… Shades of Jade will continue to exclusively debut their new original music every third Friday of the month this year from 9pm-1am. The Tank Room… 9pm-1am.

*From a press release: The American Jazz Museum will join thousands of musicians and hundreds of concert presenters across the country this May in celebrating National Chamber Music Month.  The American Jazz Museum’s presentation of a monthlong calendar in the Blue Room jazz club that features Charlotte Embry and Soigné on Friday, May 1st; the Dino Massa / Chris Burnett Group on Friday, May 8th; and, the Jazz Disciples with vocalist, Lisa Henry and poet, Glenn North, is part of a nationwide initiative to raise public awareness of the many styles of small ensemble music performed and presented today… Chamber Music America defines chamber music as works for small ensembles of 2–10 members, playing one to a part and generally performing without a conductor.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Dominique Sanders- A True Story Based On...

A True Story Based On…, the bold, imaginative and vital new album by Dominique Sanders, opens with a skit that features an eclectic array of music including a few seconds of ”Invincible”, a song by the locally based pop-punk band the Beautiful Bodies.

Similarly astounding surprises are sprinkled throughout the 75-minute project.

While he may be best known for playing bass in Kansas City jazz clubs, Sanders includes elements of electronic music, funk, hip-hop, soul and rock on A True Story Based On….

Jazz fans needn’t feel left out.  Trumpeter Hermon Mehari, saxophonist Steve Lambert, pianist Andrew Ouellette and drummer Ryan Lee join Sanders on "Visible Galaxies."  The selection eventually transforms into a progressive fusion assault that climaxes with Danny Embrey’s metallic guitar solo.

"Inner Dimensions" boasts stellar contributions from saxophonist Andy McGhie and pianist Harold O'Neal.

Suggesting that the album is a who’s-who of young players on Kansas City’s jazz scene would be an exaggeration, but Matt Hopper, Mark Lowrey, Ernest Melton and Josh Williams are among the additional heavy hitters credited in the liner notes.

The R&B and funk tracks may be even more impressive than the jazz-oriented selections.  The sultry "Dreamin'" features smooth vocals by Anthony Saunders.    Reggie B raps and sings on the funky "Someone Else."  The wavy neo-soul of Awakening is a feature for Miles Bonny.

While the album would be improved by a twenty-minute trim, a bit of extravagance is to be expected from dynamic young musicians.  A True Story Based On… contains an excess of enthusiasm.

Many people objected when Flying Lotus' You're Dead was named the top album of 2014 at Plastic Sax.  Those same jazz purists won't be much happier when they find the similarly adventurous A True Story Based On… near the top of Plastic Sax's year-end album list in 2015.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: The Andrew Ouellette Trio at Westport Coffee House

I've heard Andrew Ouellette perform straight-laced mainstream jazz and wild-eyed music with adventurous ensembles, but until Thursday I'd never attended one of his gigs as a leader. 

I was curious to see where the keyboardist would plant his musical flag as he collaborated with bassist Zach Beeson and drummer Brian Steever at the superb venue below the Westport Coffee House.

The selections performed during the first set are revealing.  In addition to at least one original composition, the trio played renditions of Harry Warren and Al Dubin's "September in the Rain," John Lewis' "Milestones," Brad Mehldau's "When It Rains," Milton Nascimento's "Cravo e Canela" and the unhappy ballad "Some Other Time."

The mix of standards, a show tune, a Brazilian number and a piece by a new jazz leader indicate that Ouellette embraces a wide range of styles. 

Steever, one of Kansas City's most excitable drummers, was as active as Ouellette was reserved.  Positioned between the very different men, Beeson ably connected their disparate styles for an audience of less than 10.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: The Project H- We Live Among the Lines

Become Light, the effervescent second album by The Project H, was Plastic's Sax's top release by a locally based ensemble in 2012.  The new album We Live Among the Lines is even better.

Without sacrificing its knack for crafting ingenious melodies, the Project H has evolved into a tighter and tougher band.  The solos on We Live Among the Lines are more direct and the rock elements have been been accentuated.  The exhilarating "A Bear's Cage" is among the tracks that prominently features distorted guitar and keyboards.  "Do It Up & Do It Right" finds the sweet spot between the classic R&B of the 1970s and contemporary groove-oriented ensembles.

We Live Among the Lines indicates that the members of the Project H- trumpeter Clint Ashlock, trombonist Ryan Heinlein, saxophonist Brett Jackson, guitarist Jeff Stocks, keyboardist Andrew Ouellette, bassist Dominique Sanders and drummer Matt Leifer- understand that musical daring and fun aren't mutually exclusive concepts. 

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*From Eddie Moore: We the musicians of the Kansas City jazz scene both members and non members of the Mutual Musicians Foundation (MMF) are issuing a boycott of this organization. Over the years the MMF has blatantly disrespected the musicians community at large along with the failure to follow the structure of the By- Laws. Their actions have gone unanswered and this will not be tolerated any longer. On February 19th an official meeting was called where only one board member was present (secretary), the organization as a whole refused to meet with us and open their doors to help resolve this matter.  We are asking that ALL Patrons of the arts and musicians to stop supporting this organization and their functions until this issue is resolved out of respect to the musicians who give their talents and knowledge to the historic organization.  For more information email: moorepiano1@gmail.com

*KC Jazz Lark pays tribute to the ailing Everette DeVan.

*The latest installment of the Hermon Mehari video series featured at Plastic Sax on February 17 is a duet with Andrew Ouellette on "If I Were a Bell."

*The Robert Glasper Experiment will perform with Ledesi at the Midland theater on May 13.

*The Pitch reports on Everette DeVan's health issues.

*Hunter Long was interviewed by Calli Parker.

*Here's a new episode of 12th Street Jump's "Blues In the News".

*Tweet o' the Week: - Oh the Bill- Everette DeVan Benefit - TapDance: (video)

*Comment o' the Week: Sam- I'm gigging and can't be there tonight, but the Horizon show (with this exact lineup) at the Blue Room about ten years ago is still one of my favorite performances ever. The place was buzzing before, during and after.

*From a press release: The University of Kansas School of Music proudly presents the 37th Annual KU Jazz Festival concerts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8 in Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union. This year’s concerts feature special guest artists Jaleel Shaw, saxophone (March 7) and Dave Douglas, trumpet (March 8). Both concert events are open to the public… Both Shaw and Douglas will be featured on new arrangements of their compositions written for the occasion by KU Jazz Studies students and faculty, including works by 2013 DownBeat Student Music Award winners David von Kampen and Clint Ashlock…. Following the main stage concerts at Woodruff Auditorium in the Kansas Union, the music will continue with the KU Jazz Festival After Hours Jazz Sessions, held at the All Seasons Den at The Oread Hotel, from 10:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. both evenings. These jazz sessions will feature performances by the Matt Otto Quartet.

*From Rob Scheps: Drummers- There is a great opportunity coming. New York drummer Eliot Zigmund will do a clinic in KC..... On Sunday April 6,  from 2 pm - 4:30 pm, The Rob Scheps/ Eliot Zigmund 4tet (with Roger Wilder & Bob Bowman), will do a concert/ clinic in Kansas City. The venue is being confirmed and will be announced  soon.  But the date and time are firm.. The 4tet will play; Eliot will speak about his career and the drums; and those who wish will get to play with the band, and can receive advice and critique from Eliot.... a jazz master class situation.

*From a press release: Award-winning Canadian vocalist and pianist Laila Biali will be gracing the stage at the American Jazz Museum on March 1… Described as “an exciting and unique talent” by Sting, Laila is a genre-bending performer known for intertwining pop, rock, classical, soul, and jazz into truly remarkable arrangements… Kicking off in Kansas City, she is joined by vibraphonist Greg Carroll, the CEO of the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City as well as an award-winning jazz performer and educator!

(Original image of a monitor at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial by Plastic Sax.)

Event Review: Chuck Haddix at Unity on the Plaza

I would pay $7 just to hear Chuck Haddix talk about Charlie Parker for 90 minutes.  Throwing down that amount to hear Haddix's thoughts on Bird complemented with performances by several of Kansas City's most notable musicians represents a rare bargain.  An audience of over 300 took advantage of the deal at Unity on the Plaza on Wednesday, October 2.

Haddix was promoting his new biography Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker.  Plastic Sax reviewed the book last month.  The event was part of Tim Whitmer's monthly Spirituality and All That Jazz series.

The evening began with the house band of pianist Whitmer, saxophonist Jim Mair, bassist James Albright and drummer Jurgen Welge playing "Autumn Leaves" and "My Little Suede Shoes."  Mair floored me by making a bold statement with a Grafton saxophone on the latter selection.  Unfortunately, his nod to Parker's infamous plastic sax won't be repeated anytime soon. 

"I just sold it and I'm shipping it out tomorrow," Mair said.

Haddix read from his book and shared personal anecdotes about his relationship with Parker's music.  He recalled initially failing to appreciate Parker's approach after he bought "a $2.99 cutout" album at the UMKC bookstore.

"I didn't get it," Haddix confessed.

He explained that the tall tales of bar owner Milton Morris played an instrumental role in fostering his understanding of Parker's legacy.  Haddix reminded the audience of Parker's affection for "Cherokee" in his introduction to the standard.  The format- Haddix's analysis of the evolution of Parker's career followed by a related performance- would continue for the remainder of the evening. 

Accompanied by Albright and Welge, saxophone giant Bobby Watson, trumpeter Hermon Mehari and pianist Andrew Ouellette tore into "Cherokee."  Watson stormed through the changes as if he was momentarily possessed by Parker.  Watson's bluesy take on "Body and Soul" was brilliant.  Mair returned to the stage for a lively rendition of "Jumpin' the Blues." 

Watson and Mehari played impressive unison lines on "Yardbird Suite."  "Groovin' High" and "Just Friends" were followed by a version of "Now's the Time" that closed the unique and entertaining event on a rapturous note.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Chuck Haddix discussed his new biography of Charlie Parker with Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up to Date.

*NPR offers a review Stanley Crouch's biography of Charlie Parker.

*Megan Birdsall interviewed Andrew Ouellette for the Green Lady Lounge's Tumblr.

*Four people were shot last week near the Mutual Musicians Foundation.  A lengthy report in The Kansas City Star examines the consequences of the incident.

*Black House Collective is one of four Kansas City-based organizations to receive SEED grants from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. "(T)he grantees will receive $10,000 per year for three years."  The collective shares another round of photos from its new music festival.

*The day after I published Monday's editorial about the fractured jazz community, Kansas City Jazz A.L.I.V.E., "a new Jazz catalyst organization," came to my attention.

*Photos of Jon Faddis and Marilyn Maye are among the second set of images captured by KC Jazz Lark documenting the 2013 edition of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*Nicolay of the Foreign Exchange recalls performing for a tough audience at the Blue Room.

*Krystle Warren will make a rare appearance in her hometown on Sunday, October 6, at the KC Live stage.

*Here's the latest episode of 12th Street Jump's "Blues In the News."

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- The first time I heard about the Blvd. charity project was a couple days before it ended. I had seen no advertising whatsoever until a last minute half-***** attempt at getting AJM audience members to vote. Of course they lost! The AJM marketing team needs some serious rethinking. Just trying to negotiate the website gives me headache. See for yourself by trying to find out who is playing at the Blue Room in October. Just being honest here. Does Myra Taylor's life story really warrant a musical production?  Mr. Butler has big ideas but unfortunately none of them are very good. The incentives were poor and the project was poorly outlined. "The majority of the over 1,000 people who attend every concert by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at Helzberg Hall probably aren't terribly concerned with the legacy of Charlie Parker."  Really? Did you ask them individually? They, unlike the younger musicians in town, actually grew up when Parker's music was being produced. I think they might surprise you. "Most of the supporters of the jam sessions at YJs don't feel a strong connection to the American Jazz Museum" Absolutely incorrect.

*Tweet o' the Week: Matthew Kassel- Traffic was thick as freckles on the face of a redheaded cracker." (One of many choice lines in Stanley Crouch's new Charlie Parker bio.)

**From Brad Cox: Wednesday, October 2--Jeff Harshbarger--The Music of True Grit, Plaza Library, Truman Forum at 7:00pm. Free (not jazz).  Thursday, October 3--Solo Keyboard, Computer and Social Media Performance, Paragraph Gallery from 7:30-9:30pm. Free. Sunday, October 6-Krystle Warren, Power and Light Live at 6:00pm. Free. Sunday, October 6--People's Liberation Big Band, RecordBar at 8:00pm, $5. Tuesday, October 8-People's Liberation Big Band-The Valdislav Starevich Project,
Kansas City Art Institute at 7:30pm. Free.

*From Take Five Coffee: The October music lineup at Take Five Coffee + Bar features a mix of artists from far-off lands and world class talent from right here in KC. We kick it off this week with Paul Zaborac, a saxophonist from Australia, and then Ben Van Gelder, a saxophonist from The Netherlands by way of New York City, comes in to spar with Hermon Mehari. Wrap it up with James Isaac's ensemble of versatile KC masters, and you'll have a weekend to remember.

Thursday, October 3, 7pm:  The Paul Zaborac Trio- On tour from Sydney, Australia, the Paul Zaborac Trio is sure to blow our little room away… $5 cover.  Friday, October 4, 8pm:  Hermon Mehari with special guest Ben Van Gelder-… Widely recognized among the best and most distinctive sax players under 30 in the world, Ben is a captivating performer. $5 cover… Saturday, October 5, 8pm:  James Isaac Group- With Jeff Harshbarger on bass, Mike Stover on guitar and/or pedal steel, and Scotty McBee on the drums, Isaac will take us places none of us can guess. $5 cover. This just ahead: Rob Scheps and Jim O'Connor Quintet; Hermon Mehari Trio; singer/songwriter Kate Cosentino; Parallax; the Mike Herrera Quintet; Ben Leifer Quartet; Bill McKemy. Thinking out to November? Here are some teasers: David Basse; Jeff Harshbarger; KC Sound Collective; Interstring; M-Bird; Project H; Peter Schlamb; Shay Estes.

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Steve Lambert and the KC Sound Collective

Take Five Coffee + Bar was so crowded for the KC Sound Collective's performance on January 4 that I had to stand in the back hallway near the bathrooms.  The young group- saxophonist Steve Lambert, pianist Andrew Ouellette, bassist Dominique Sanders and drummer Brad Williams in the incarnation featured in the embedded video- play hard bop with fresh energy.  They're heard to good effect in the murky video shot the next night at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.  The members of the collective regularly perform together and separately.  Facebook provides the most effective way to track their gigs.

Kansas City's Jazz Rebels

Exactly when did jazz become polite?  The music would benefit from a hint of hooliganism.  That's why a rough video capturing a brash display by a Kansas City rhythm section at the 2012 Jazz Education Network conference in Kentucky delighted me.  "They wouldn't let us play," the clip's introduction suggests.  "So we waited 'til they finished breaking down the stage and went at it 'til 5 a.m."  Pianist Andrew Ouellette, bassist Dominique Sanders and drummer Ryan Lee are captured tearing through John Coltrane's "Impressions."  I'm pretty sure that's Brian Steever fronting on Lee and Josh Williams stepping up after Floridian Rane Roatta's solo at 3:53.  The person holding the camera talks about the facility's displeased staff.  Sure enough, the musicians are forced to cease as the clip closes.

Review: Juego Estandar at Take Five Coffee

I haven't had much of an appetite for polite and reserved music during the first half of 2012.  With my recent predilection for harsher sounds, I simply couldn't appreciate what I heard from Juego Estandar at Take Five Coffee + Bar as the sun went down on Saturday evening. 

The concept of young locally-based musicians forming a new Latin jazz band is inherently appealing.  What I experienced, however, sounded too much like the "lounge-chill" sensibility Marc Myers cites in an essay at his excellent JazzWax blog.  Keyboardist Andrew Ouellette, for instance, played a technically impressive solo in the vein of Eddie Palmieri, but the star's signature ferocity was missing.  Only a percussion segment during a version of "Afro Blue" contained the sparks that I associate with Latin jazz. 

It's entirely possible that the sextet played an impassioned second set.  Not wanting to feel like I was at a Sunday brunch as my Saturday night was just getting started, I didn't stick around to find out.

(EDIT: The personnel pictured in the band's publicity photo is not the same as the band that appeared Saturday at Take Five.  Perhaps most notably, neither Sam Wisman nor Dominique Sanders were present.)

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The KC Sound Collective at the RecordBar

 Perhaps the most radical aspect of the KC Sound Collective is the ensemble's conservative approach.  Consisting of five of Kansas City's most notable young jazz musicians, the band carefully hews to the hard bop tradition.  While each member excels at playing in less conventional contexts, the Collective elects stay within the familiar framework codified half a century ago. 

As I noted in my review of the band's debut performance last year, the band's brash sound is in the tradition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.  Only the electric keyboard played by Andrew Ouellette at the band's album release show Sunday at the RecordBar betrayed the formula.   About twenty people- over half of them prominent musicians- caught the quintet's first set. 

The lion's share of the soloing went to saxophonist Steve Lambert, trumpeter Hermon Mehari and Oulette, but the excellent work of bassist Dominique Sanders and drummer Brad Williams represent much of the Collective's appeal.  Sanders is also the composer of the band's most striking composition.  The freeform opening of one of his pieces reminds me of vintage Pharaoh Sanders. 

I have yet to hear it, but the Collective's new album In the Moment almost certainly documents the compositional talent of Sanders and his bandmates.  It'll be available when the band performs Thursday, May 24, at the Blue Room.  An appearance by the Collective at the venue, incidentally, was my my favorite jazz gig of 2011.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Project H- Become Light

"Saturday's Back," the fourth track on Become Light, the terrific new release by trombonist Ryan Heinlein's The Project H, is the sort of joyous groove-oriented song that once led off classic jazz albums by the likes of Horace Silver and Herbie Hancock.

There's a good reason the album opens with the unaccompanied drumming of Matt Leifer on "The Revisionist" instead. He's the band's most valuable player. Without his fresh approach, the album's clever charts and terrific solos might have fallen flat. Every time the recording begins to veer in an excessively academic direction, an innovative rhythmic concept from Leifer and bassist Dominique Sanders negates the infiltration of unwanted fustiness. "Murphy's Law," for instance, might have become a typical hard bop blowing tune were it not for the engaging textures laid down by the rhythm section.

Become Light, consequently, is the most accessible album by Kansas City-based jazz musicians since the release of Diverse's debut in 2009. (Here's The Project H's EPK.)

Just because Become Light is entertaining doesn't mean it's not loaded with impressive chops. Clint Ashlock's passionate trumpet solos are in the fiery tradition of Arturo Sandoval. Keyboardist Andrew Oullette's elegant intro to "Become Light" evokes Chick Corea's "Spain." Surprising arrangements, including a chart that allows the horns to circle back to one another on "Water Torture," display the sophistication associated with acclaimed jazz masters like David Binney. The reggae flavor of "The Vibe Out" isn't going to scare Antibalis, but it's extremely encouraging to hear young Kansas City-based jazz musicians experimenting with new styles.

Heinlein composed all of Become Light's selections. The Project H is clearly his band. Yet The Project H can also be viewed as an indirect result of Bobby Watson's outstanding jazz program at UMKC. I believe that every member of The Project H- Ashlock, Heinlein, saxophonist Brett Jackson, Leifer, Oullette and Sanders- is either a current or former Watson student or has professional ties to one or more of Watson's concerns.

Become Light serves as further evidence that Kansas City's jazz scene is experiencing a post-Watson Watson-fueled renaissance.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Kansas City Sound Collective at Jardine's

Although it was billed as the band's debut, Thursday's gig at Jardine's wasn't the first time The Kansas City Sound Collective played together in public. The group of young jazz musicians has met up several times for informal jam sessions at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

The 45 minutes of the first set I caught Thursday didn't offer many surprises, but everything I heard was smart, sophisticated and expertly played. The band's approach was not unlike a mid-'60s date for Blue Note, with saxophonist Steve Lambert assuming the role of Wayne Shorter and trumpeter Hermon Mehari playing the part of Lee Morgan.

A number of notable jazz musicians were among audience of about 50. I sat near drummer Ryan Lee and couldn't help noticing his intent study of the significantly less rambunctious style of his counterpart Brad Williams. Pianist Andrew Ouellette and bassist Dominique Sanders rounded out the group. The five guys on stage had a cumulative age of not much more than 100.

The Kansas City Sound Collective operates under an awkward moniker and its approach is unapologetically conservative. Everything else about the band, however, is positively sublime.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)