Concert Review: True Dig at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival

“You couldn't ask for a more blessed day,” Tyrone Clark said during True Dig’s set at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival on Saturday afternoon.

He was right.  The warm sunshine and cool breeze seemed heaven-sent.  The music performed by True Dig- bandleader and bassist Clark, vocalist Lisa Henry, pianist Charles Williams, guitarist Charles Gatschet and drummer Michael Warren- suited the mild setting. 

The ensemble’s R&B-inflected jazz resembled the genial 1970s sound of the Crusaders and Bobbi Humphrey.  Sold by the charismatic Henry, the party songs “Fly Boy” and “Midwest Girls” provided the highlights of True Dig’s enjoyable outing.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: The Chris Burnett/Dino Massa Group at Take Five Coffee + Bar

Few things on Kansas City’s jazz scene make me happier than seeing Doug and Lori Chandler break out extra chairs to accommodate unexpectedly large audiences at Take Five Coffee + Bar.

A quintet led by Chris Burnett in his first appearance at the venue's new Leawood location drew several dozen listeners to an hour-long first set on Saturday.

Partly because he’s responsible for a relentless onslaught of social media postings, it’s easy to forget that Burnett is a fine saxophonist.  His band consisted of pianist Dino Massa, guitarist Charles Gatschet, bassist Andrew Stinson and drummer Matt Leifer.

Burnett explained that he and Massa met in Italy more than twenty years ago.  Massa played with the elegant precision associated with the Kansas City pianist Joe Cartwright.

The ensemble opened with a faithful rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance,” a selection that set the tone for a tasteful set that included several original compositions by Burnett and Massa.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark appraises Kansas City's jazz scene.

*Musicians share their thoughts about the late Tommy Ruskin with Neon Jazz.

*Demencha magazine interviewed Dominique Sanders about his new album.

*A blogger takes note of a performance by guitarists Charles Gatschet and Matt Hopper. 

*The Pitch touts Horacescope's gig at the Blue Room.

*Joyce Smith reports that vocalist Darcus Gates will open a "supper club" named Dash in May.

*Rudresh Mahanthappa's Bird Calls, an album on which "each track is directly based on a Parker composition or solo," will be released next month.

*Tweet o' the Week: Hermon Mehari- Playing in NYC tonight with Matt Brewer (bass), Craig Weinrib (drums), and Tony Tixier (piano) at Somethin Jazz Club from 9-10:45!

*Comment o' the Week: - Brian Baggett- Maybe Marilyn would like to do some VH covers with DŌJŌ?

*After years of neglect, the dead and dormant links in the blogroll have been cleared out.  Please let me know if you have a proper (non-Facebook/ReverbNation) site that merits inclusion.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Loren Pickford Trio At the Golden Ox

The staff of Plastic Sax is ashamed that they neglected to catch Loren Pickford's trio at the Golden Ox until last weekend.

The saxophonist, Micah Herman and Charles Gatschet serve up some of the most imaginative jazz in Kansas City inside the profoundly masculine steak house lounge.

Pickford has seemingly done it all and played with everyone. Although he's ostensibly working in a cocktail setting, Pickford can't restrain himself from occasionally wailing like this. He also covers Tom Waits' skid row saga "The One That Got Away" with weary authority.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The Pitch's music blog notes that the shuttered Phoenix jazz club may become a donut shop.

*The Star paints a gloomy picture of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. It's the comparatively popular companion of the American Jazz Museum. The museums' neighborhood is disparaged by a few Kansas Citians here.

*How can we miss Lee Ingalls if he won't go away? He interviewed Charles Gatschet for KCUR. The Kansas City jazz guitarist talks about Antonio Carlos Jobim, his fondness for melody and the color of Cindy Sheehan's hair. What?

*Joe Klopus provides an appreciation of the ongoing career of Michael Carvin.

*According to the internet, Marilyn Maye hardly exists. The Star makes reference to Maye's supposed 76 appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. So how is it possible that not a single clip is posted at YouTube? I demand a recount. The Kansas City favorite began an extended run at Quality Hill Playhouse yesterday.

*How dare a jazz blogger mock Pat Metheny's hair!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)