Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A critic for a British newspaper praises Hermon Mehari in a concert review that suggests “our side of the pond is where jazz is at in 2019.”

*Marilyn Maye’s new show in New York is titled “I Wish I Were 90 Again!”.

* Drew Williams and Ben Leifer chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Jazz St. Louis is presenting April and May performances by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, Marcus Strickland with Ron Miles and Matt Wilson, the Brad Mehldau Trio, the Pedrito Martinez Group, Arturo O’Farrill, Jazzmeia Horn and the John Pizzarelli Trio with Catherine Russell.  Not one of these stars is slated to appear in Kansas City.

*Tweet o’ the Week: UMKC MNL- Are you around campus this week? Check out one (or all) of our exhibits! Floor G: Focusing on Faces, A Life in a Year Part 3 Floor 3: Jay McShann's Kansas City Floor 4: Poetics of Invention, a traveling exhibit from OU

*April’s gig listings are posted at The Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: Steve Cardenas at Black Dolphin

The band dropped out as Matt Otto took a solo on a bracing version of Ornette Coleman’s “Congeniality” at Black Dolphin on Thursday.  The saxophonist’s statement was so enthralling that even an offensively inattentive person at the bar fell silent.  Otto’s incandescent statement was the standout moment of the 80-minute opening set of an ensemble led by the New York based guitarist Steve Cardenas.  He was accompanied by Otto, trumpeter Dave Scott, bassist Ben Leifer and drummer Marty Morrison.  A full house of about 100 attended the free show.  Otto’s solo was the most blatantly adventurous outburst of the set, but Cardenas’ thoughtful solos intimated similarly knotty concepts. Video snippets of the show were captured by Joe Dimino and Plastic Sax.

Setlist: Spring (Matt Otto), Congeniality (Ornette Coleman), Song For Janie (Dave Scott, title uncertain), Subconscious-Lee (Lee Konitz), New Moon (Steve Cardenas), Rhythm-a-Ning (Thelonious Monk).

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: Mezzo String at Polsky Theatre

Ryan Lee conducted a disheartening exercise at Mezzo String’s free noontime concert at Polsky Theatre on Tuesday, September 25.  Only a few hands went up when the bandleader asked which members of the audience of almost 100 were younger than 30.  A few more responded when asked if they were younger than 40.  About a dozen additional people acknowledged that they were in their forties.  Even though it’s held on the campus of Johnson County Community College, the Jazz Series attracts retirees rather than students.

And truth be told, Mezzo String’s highly refined chamber jazz is more likely to appeal to people with naturally gray hair than to students who opt to dye their hair purple.  Lee, one of Kansas City’s most dynamic drummers, seamlessly meshes jazz musicians and a string quartet in Mezzo String.  While he and his bandmates are young, their cultivated sound never threatened to unsettle even the most conservative old-timers in the audience.  Every one of the old folks was probably already familiar with the melodies on interpretations of “Lush Life” and “My One and Only Love.”  A reading of the former standard served as a vehicle for trumpeter Nate Nall, while the later selection was played by the ensemble’s string quartet and bassist Ben Leifer.

The tone of two or three original compositions matched the genteel sensibility.  Lee insisted that the three soloists “go wild” on an interpretation of Joe Locke’s “Her Sanctuary.”  The mandate pushed the straight-laced pianist Roger Wilder out of his comfort zone to excellent effect and allowed Nall and violinist Coleen Dieker to do what comes naturally to them.  Lee noted that he’d heard and participated in “a lot of great concerts” at Polsky Theatre.  He can add last week’s distinguished show to that list.

(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 Otto and Andy Ehling- Reunion

The reticent Kansas City musician Matt Otto continues to verify his rarefied talent.  Reunion, the new album he co-leads with the Bay Area saxophonist Andy Ehling, is sublime. 

As on their 2008 album Returning, the duo successfully updates the deceptively transgressive West Coast sound associated with Jimmy Giuffre. 

Thorny tracks including “Twain” and “Lenigh” intimate dissonance, but the insistence of a stalwart rhythm section prevents the saxophonists from venturing too far afield. 

The grooves laid down by bassist Ben Leifer and drummer Brad Williams could be mistaken for the work of internationally acclaimed tandems like Harish Raghavan and Nasheet Waits.  Playing a Fender Rhodes, the New York based keyboardist Leonard Thompson adds complementary splashes of impressionistic colors.

Subtly luminous, Reunion may be even more remarkable than Soliloquy, the excellent album Otto released in 2016.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: John Gross at the Westport Coffeehouse

A Lee Konitz performance provided me with a transformative experience in March.  I hoped to bookend that highlight of 2015 with John Gross’ appearance at Westport Coffeehouse last week.

Gross, 71, is another saxophonist who communed with jazz giants as a young man.  The native Californian was once embedded in the West Coast cool jazz scene.  He later toured with several prominent big bands.  Gross is now based in Portland.

I hoped to hear Gross play like this.  Instead, Gross and saxophonist Matt Otto, a trombonist from Stevie Wonder’s touring band, guitarist Danny Embrey, bassist Ben Leifer and drummer Brian Steever played sleek post-bop.

Wednesday's elite lineup was virtually incapable of playing anything less than stellar.  Even so, the uncomfortably low turnout became an oppressive burden for both me and for the band .  I bailed after about 40 minutes of exquisite music.

(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.)

Concert Review: The Matt Otto Quintet at the Westport Coffee House

After watching the first several selections of the NBA draft on Thursday, I turned off ESPN and headed to the Westport Coffee House. 

A band led by saxophonist and composer Matt Otto featured saxophonist Michael Shults, keyboardist T.J. Martley, bassist Ben Leifer and drummer Ryan Lee in the venue's weekly Jazz Underground series.

As the quintet performed exquisitely crafted and immaculately rendered jazz for an audience of about 20, it struck me that each man would rank highly on a hypothetical draft board of Kansas City jazz musicians.

Like Chris Bosh, Otto is a multifaceted talent.  Shults is a creative playmaker akin to Steve Nash.  The cerebral Martley is the Shane Battier of the local jazz scene.  Leifer and Lee are tremendous individual talents, but much like Marcus and Markieff Morris, they're most valuable as members of the same team.

I apologize to all five deserving lottery picks and to all 15 Plastic Sax readers for my blundering analogies.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Diverse- Our Journey

The release of Diverse's debut album in 2009 marked the start of the latest artistic renaissance of Kansas City's jazz scene.  The self-titled project served notice that Bobby Watson's jazz program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City was bearing fruit. 

It's taken five years for Diverse to issue the follow-up album Our Journey. A lot has transpired in the interim.  Originally a quintet, the core trio of trumpeter Hermon Mehari, bassist Ben Leifer and drummer Ryan Lee recently made Parisian pianist Tony Tixier an official member of the band.

Diverse has become well known in the region for its lively tributes to Michael Jackson and live recreations of albums by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest.  Jazz fans have witnessed a concurrent refinement of Diverse's jazz chops.

Given the breathless praise that's been heaped on Diverse (the author of this site not excepted), people might assume that Diverse is breaking new musical ground.  It's not.  Diverse's sound is rooted in the style of mid-1960s Miles Davis albums like E.S.P. and Nefertiti.  Recorded in Paris in 2012, Our Journey is a subtle, elegant and predominantly conservative statement.

Mehari employs the sort of wounded, highly emotive tone associated with Davis.  Guest saxophonist Logan Richardson plays the role of Wayne Shorter.  The Kansas City native's presence on the album is the primary reason jazz fans around the world are likely to take notice of Our Journey.  A member of NEXT Collective, Richardson is an established player.  Tixier makes for a solid Herbie Hancock.

Yet it's the rhythm section of Lee and Leifer that shines brightest on Our Journey.  The years they've spent working together result in many of the album's best moments.  Leifer's elastic bass and the bounce of Lee's drumming makes the Lionel Loueke-esque "Motherland" one of the standout selections.  The quiet power of the tandem on the more conventional title track is astounding. 

The melodic funk of "Full Circle" is immediately engaging.  Even so, "Full Circle"'s slick production and electronic elements belong on another album.  Its inclusion is Our Journey's only overt flaw.

One of my greatest fears as an intense observer of Kansas City's jazz scene is the prospect of Diverse relocating to Paris.  Yet thanks in large part to the path restored by Diverse, Kansas City once again looks like an attractive base for a new wave of young jazz musicians.

---
The CD release party for Our Journey takes place at the Blue Room on Friday, May 9.  Diverse will also perform at the Hollywood Theater in Leavenworth on Saturday, May 10.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Klopus crafted an invaluable summary of Nathan Davis' career.  The native of Kansas City, Kansas, performs at the Gem Theater on Saturday.

*A celebration of the life of Dionne Jeroue was documented by KCJazzLark.

*Bobby Watson discusses Horizon with a Pennsylvania-based journalist.  The publication gave the band's concert a rave review.

*Black House shares a blooper reel.

*The Pitch advises readers of the Sons' of Brasil's regular gigs at Broadway Jazz Club.

*The Jazz Journalists Association named Jon Poses of Columbia, Missouri, a "jazz hero".

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Baggett- I like metronomes. Good times!

*From a press release: Kansas City based group Diverse is preparing to release their second album in early May. “Our Journey” is a project of all original jazz music that was recorded in Paris, France, and features the core members Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Ryan Lee on drums, and Ben Leifer on the bass. Parisian pianist Tony Tixier augments the ensemble throughout and special guest alto saxophonist Logan Richardson plays on a few numbers. Diverse will celebrate the release of this album at the Blue Room in Kansas City on May 9th… It will feature the core members and pianist Tony Tixier who will be flown in from Paris. Start time is 8:30 PM with a $10 admission.

*I've been surprised and delighted to receive a few complaints regarding my failure to update the Kansas City Jazz Calendar.  I apologize.  I hope to fulfill my obligations soon.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Matt Jones, the owner of the Phoenix, suggests that "“(i)t’s tough around Kansas City to be a jazz guy."

*A report in The Kansas City Star indicates that the Broadway Jazz Cafe "will offer live music five nights a week."

*Chuck Haddix was interviewed by KCPT about his his biography of Charlie Parker.  Here's footage from Haddix's reading at Unity Temple.

*NPR interviewed Stanley Crouch about his new biography of Charlie Parker.

*The Pitch recommends Friday's performance by the Jazz Disciples with Lisa Henry.

*The Kansas City Star offers a review of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's appearance at Helzberg Hall.  KC Metropolis' analysis of Saturday's concert is here.

*Kevin Mahogany recalls the time he spent at Baker University.

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

*Joe Dimino interviewed Chicago-based trumpeter Marquis Hill.

*Tweet o' the Week: Anton Donaldson- Kansas City jazz legend Lonnie McFadden. #jazz #kansascity (Vine)

*Comment o' the Week: Timothy- If its not a greasy sound it must have been recorded at Soundtrek. No disrespect to Soundtrek but it is a notoriously polite sound. Maybe I'm wrong. Tim

*From Jim Mair: The Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Program will present a showcase at the Green Lady Lounge on Veteran's Day, Monday, November 11th from 7pm to 10pm.  Showcase will feature Jazz Band, Jazz Combos, Vocal Jazz Ensembles and Student Jazz Soloists. The showcase is free of charge and open to the public.

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: The power this weekend at Take Five Coffee + Bar comes from the depths- two outstanding shows led by two of the city's premier bassists. Come get that feeling down in your bones. Friday, October 25, 8pm: Ben Leifer's Plus Minus: Among his many ensemble affiliations, Ben Leifer is part of the trio, Diverse, that originally opened up Take Five to the idea of a coffeehouse hosting live jazz. Having him back in the room, leading a terrific quartet he calls Plus Minus, is a long-awaited treat: Andrew Ouellette on keys, Matt Hopper on guitar, and John Kizilarmut on drums. $5 cover. Saturday, October 26, 8pm:  Bill McKemy Quartet: As a composer, leader and sideman, bassist Bill McKemy has been tearing up the Kansas City jazz scene for years and continues to deliver surprises at every turn. In front of his own quartet of equally imaginative and powerful players - Brian Baggett on guitar, Rich Wheeler on tenor and Sam Wisman on drums - he'll take over Take Five this Saturday, much to our delight. $5 cover.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: BD Trio- Live 17.02.2013

In my unguarded moments I've been known to suggest that the jazz audience is as large as it's ever been.  In fact, I claim, millions of jazz fans are hiding in plain view.  One such contingent is devoted to the sound of jam bands.

Some projects make the connection particularly apparent.  Live 17.02.2013 by the BD Trio probably has more immediate appeal to fans of Phish than of Sonny Rollins.  The grouping of Luke Polipnick, Ben Leifer and Brandon Draper was recorded at Take Five Coffee + Bar on February 16. 2013.  The accompanying notes explain that "(t)his is an entirely improvised double set of music and the first time Brandon, Ben and Luke played together as a trio."

The peripatetic Draper is an astoundingly gifted and playfully hyperactive percussionist.  He's best known among Plastic Sax readers as a member of Alaturka.  The recording contains about 1:45 minutes of his prodigious playing.  He's never boring.  The contribution of Polipnick, a guitarist based in Omaha, contains a similarly broad array of textures.  Leifer is an elite player in a town full of monster bassists. My sole complaint with the recording is that my headphones and speakers don't convey the depth of Leifer's sound. 

As with any extended set of improvisations, there are a handful of segments in which the trio searches for new insights.  Such lulls only serve to make the extraordinary moments even more exciting.  The trio manages to catch several towering waves of inspiration.

Live 17.02.2013 is the first official release that takes advantage of the superb acoustics at Take Five Coffee + Bar.  There's plenty of ambient noise and lots of enthusiastic shouting from a voice that's familiar to anyone who's visited the Leawood establishment.  The free download is highly recommended to fans of Charlie Hunter, Marco Benevento, Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood and the individual participants.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: John Stowell

One of my favorite jazz performances of 2012 featured a band led by saxophonist Matt Otto at the Westport Coffeehouse in February.  Otto and the comfortable listening room beneath the cafe are a terrific combination.  Otto, bassist Ben Leifer and drummer Brian Steever will support guitarist John Stowell on Tuesday, December 4.  Not unlike Otto, Stowell falls into the dreaded "musician's musician" category.  Even so, receptive listeners without any formal training should be able to appreciate what promises to be a sublime evening of refined musicianship.

Review: The Owen/Cox Dance Group at H&R Block City Stage Theater

The People's Liberation Big Band's monthly residency at the RecordBar is one of the most consistently rewarding events in Kansas City.  The opportunity to hear Brad Cox lead an inventive band of forward-thinking musicians in an exemplary listening room is deeply fulfilling. 

Only one thing is lacking- patrons of the Westport venue tend to sit passively even when the music demands movement.  That's just one reason the three performances by The Owen/Cox Dance Ensemble at the H&R Block City Stage Theater in Union Station during the last weekend of October were so essential. 

Motion provided the central theme of the ensemble's showcase.  Titled Theme and Variations, an all-star band led by Brad Cox performed bracing jazz-based compositions as dancers including Cox's partner Jennifer Owens displayed stunning athleticism.

The world premiere of "Theme and Variations for Nine Dancers and Nine Musicians" was the highlight of the program.  Filled with surprises, the multifaceted piece included segments with free jazz, space-age bop and exuberant studies in rhythm.  George Russell and Sun Ra would have been delighted by the contributions made by co-bassists Ben Leifer and Jeff Harshbarger.  And the choreography?  Spectacular!

Saxophonists Matt Otto and Rich Wheeler stood out on "A Tree that is a Tree is not a Tree."  The piece ranged from Gil Evans-esque passages to noisy nods to No Wave.  Fluid blue-clad dancers added congruency.  The introspective minimalism of "Long Day/Good Night" was my favorite selection while the frolicsome skronk of "I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream" served as a colorful send-off.

The Owen/Cox Dance Group will reprise their acclaimed version of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King with the People's Liberation Big Band on December 22 at the Folly Theater.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Welcome to the Future

The embedded video may simply look like five guys playing cerebral jazz for a small audience.  I see more- a lot more.  The video represents the future of jazz in Kansas City.  Four of the five young musicians are graduates of the jazz program at UMKC's Conservatory of Music.  They're playing a gig in Michael Shults' current base of Cincinnati with St. Louis' Peter Schlamb.  At a time when jazz is an afterthought at area "jazz" festivals and the number of Kansas City venues dedicated to jazz can be counted on the hand of a careless butcher, the elements exhibited in this modest video provide a reason to celebrate.

Disperse- It's Diverted!

I haven't asked the members of Diverse about the motives behind their recent punk performance at Club Mustache.  The embedded video offers insights into the atmosphere of the unlikely evening.

As someone who developed a love of jazz and punk simultaneously, the concept of successfully merging the two forms has long intrigued me.  I'm not the only one.  I once shared a moment with Black Flag's Greg Ginn when we discovered our mutual love of Sonny Rollins.  Yet as Ginn's efforts have indicated, most attempts to combine punk's aggression with the innate artfulness of jazz are unsatisfying.  A more promising (and potentially lucrative) proposition occurs when hip hop and jazz artists with nihilistic attitudes collaborate.

Traditionalists might wonder why Kansas City's premier young jazz act would opt to play punk.  I'd counter by suggesting that it's precisely that adventurous spirit and willingness to take risks that make Diverse notable. In 2012, jazz can't have too many daring artists like Ambrose Akinmusire, Robert Glasper, Lionel Loueke and Jason Moran.  Diverted offers further confirmation that Ben Leifer, Hermon Mehari, Dominique Sanders and Brad Williams are similarly fearless musicians.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A saxophone once owned by Charlie Parker will be auctioned June 8. The instrument is "expected to sell for $30,000-$35,000."

*Here's a slideshow commemorating the life of the late Bill Caldwell.

*The Topeka Jazz Workshop has unveiled its 2012-13 season. Highlights include Byron Stripling, Marilyn Maye, Harry Allen and Wycliffe Gordon. Chuck Berg reviewed Sunday's performance by the Kenny Barron Trio in Topeka, the final concert of the 2011-12 season.

*Passport, the duo of Beau Bledsoe and Stan Kessler, is releasing an album. Here's the trailer.

*The new release by the Chris Hazelton Trio is reviewed by KCJazzLark.

*Michael Pagan is profiled by Eric Crump of the Marshall News.

*Bobby Watson is among the Kansas City Symphony's guests at Celebration at the Station on May 27.

*A set of videos documents a Brothers Leifer performance at Take Five Coffee. Check 'em out here, here, here and here.

*Here's footage of Diverse performing at the Middle of the Map festival.

*TJ Martley filmed his piano trio from an odd angle.

*Roger Lewis of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is interviewed by The Pitch in advance of his band's concert Thursday at Crossroads KC.

*Chris Lewis of Killer Strayhorn blogs at his band's site. He recently reviewed the new ECM release by the Marcin Wasilewski Trio.

*Glenn North provides insights on the history of cakewalking.

*I heard a DJ spin vinyl versions of tracks by Duke Ellington and Eric Dolphy at last weekend's Psychfest. The festival, which featured about fifty acts, was precisely the sort of enthusiasm-driven, forward-thinking event I recently proposed for Kansas City's jazz scene.

*Phonologotronic comments on his recent activity.

*The entertainment at the 2012 edition of Jazzoo includes an R&B band, a hip hop act, a Jimmy Buffet tribute band and Ida McBeth.

*Miles Bonny and Brandon Draper discuss Kansas City Academy's Grassroots Concert Series with Sam Wisman. (Via KC Stage Blog.)

*A fan uploaded ten minutes of shaky footage of last weekend's Ramsey Lewis concert at the Gem Theater.

*Tweet o' the Week: EldarMusic- New Yorkers! Come out to Blue Note: MAY 20- ELDAR + guest CHRIS POTTER MAY 22- ELDAR + guest KARRIN ALLYSON MAY 23- ELDAR + guest JOE LOCKE

*Comment o' the Week: Clint Ashlock- There were a bunch of things going on Sunday night, and I think you can look at it in a different perspective - that over half of the crowd were musicians shows how much respect these five guys have. There's another show Thursday night at the Blue Room if you happened to miss the Record Bar hit.

*From Lisa Engelken: Extraordinary singer, songwriter & arranger Lisa Engelken returns to Kansas City to perform at the Blue Room on Friday, June 22, 2012… Lisa is thrilled to Kansas City after last Summer’s sold-out performances, and to be joined once again by the powerhouse combo that includes Kansas City’s own Roger Wilder on piano, Gerald Spaits on bass and trumpeter Stan Kessler. Rounding out the quintet is San Francisco drummer Matthew Swindells. The program includes the premiere new works from Lisa’s upcoming album Anima Explorations and selections from Engelken’s Caravan, named to the “Best of 2010” List by the Jazz Journalists Association. Engelken is a Kansas-born straight-shooter, known for a fearless stage presence that has garnered her comparisons to Evel Kneivel, Janis Joplin and a roaring Harley Davidson.

(Original image of Psychfest by Plastic Sax.)

Revisiting The Majestic

"We heard you had some good steaks here," a jovial patron told a waiter as he and a large party were being seated Sunday at The Majestic. 

The restaurant's emphasis on fine dining is precisely why I hadn't patronized the downtown establishment in months.  Sadly, I'm not in the market for a dry-aged porterhouse.  Sunday's visit proved that I can (not) have my steak and eat it too.  With the closure of Jardine's at end of 2011, The Majestic moved up a notch in the hierarchy of Kansas City's jazz establishments.  Many would suggest that it trails only the Blue Room as the most important jazz venue in town.

Others have accurately observed that The Majestic's basement resembles a speakeasy.  The candlelit room's excellent sound is less frequently noted. It's a decent spot for jazz.  And should the tables fill up- as they almost did at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday- there are six stools at the bar for listeners who don't want to invest in dinner.

Sunday found three of Kansas City's smartest and most creative musicians- Mark Lowrey, Sam Wisman and Ben Leifer- playing top-flight renditions of jazz standards.  While all three bearded men regularly play in other contexts, each obviously relished the opportunity to perform with like-minded jazz-based musicians.  Although it took liberties with "Body and Soul," the trio played classic material by the likes of Bill Evans and Charles Mingus in relatively straightforward fashion.

The retrenchment of Kansas City's jazz venues saddens me.  Yet the prospect of spending a few summer evenings listening to jazz in the basement at 931 Broadway alleviates some of my sorrow.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Crosscurrents at Polsky Theatre

A musician I know suggests that the jazz audience is diminished because Americans have become undereducated and overstimulated. As he bemoans the dumbing down of our citizenry, I don't dare tell my friend that I like "Mr. Carter" as least as much as James Carter.

I may not entirely agree with the musician, but his assertion isn't without merit. In today's often unenlightened environment, no venture may be more quixotic than a collective dedicated to the music of Lennie Tristano. Defiantly counterintuitive, Crosscurrent is one of of Kansas City's most unlikely bands. A free October 19 concert at Polsky Theatre at Johnson Country Community College served as a reminder that Crosscurrent also one of the best groups in the region.

"I call it weird bop," bandleader Sam Wisman explained to an audience of about 150.

I call it cerebral music played to perfection.

Tracking Tristano's time signatures and deciphering a pair of Matt Otto's original compositions taxed my atrophied brain. Concentrating on a Crosscurrent performance is akin to winding one's way through a meditation maze. At the conclusion of Wednesday's labyrinth-like concert, I was almost too exhausted to check my cellphone to get the latest update on Kim Kardashian.

(Original image of T.J. Martley, Ben Leifer, Steve Lambert, Sam Wisman and Matt Otto by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Diverse at Grant Recital Hall

The potential is being realized.

Diverse was once a promising collective of young Kansas City-based jazz musicians. While the band's initial shows were invariably exciting, enthusiasm and energy were often the most memorable aspects of its formative gigs. That's changing.

After about three years of experience and a few lineup changes, the band that played last Sunday at UMKC's Grant Recital Hall was perhaps the best version of Diverse yet. Drummer Ryan Lee has reined in his wilder side. Hermon Mehari's solos contain new levels of maturity. Bassist Ben Leifer? Well, he's always been impeccable. Parisian pianist Tony Tixier added compelling new ideas and textures.

An audience of about fifty, over half of whom appeared to be UMKC students, attended the free concert. A wobbly amateur cinematographer posted much of it at YouTube.

A Lionel Loueke tune served as a fascinating meditation on time and a new original composition took the concept even further. The show wasn't perfect. Tixier only touched an electric keyboard on the final song, Ryan Lee's "Forever". I wanted more like that. And a few of the solos were a bit long.

Realizing how far Diverse has come in such a short amount of time, however, should have jazz fans with giddy with anticipation for whatever comes next.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)