Now's the Time: HoraceScope

Horace Silver died yesterday.  Two of the beloved musician's connections to Kansas City come immediately to mind.  The late trumpeter Carmell Jones, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, recorded with Silver on classic albums including Song For My Father.  In recent years, HoraceScope, a band led by Plastic Sax's 2013 Person of the Year Stan Kessler, has kept Silver's music alive in Kansas City.  HoraceScope performs a rendition of "The Outlaw" in the embedded clip.

Now's the Time: Jazz for Joplin

As more than one area vocalist has been disappointed to discover, I don't care for straightforward jazz crooning.  It's not surprising, consequently, that I'm not a fan of Ken Rosberg's genteel vocals on Just Follow Your Heart.  I'm setting aside my personal preferences to highlight the new album that benefits the related Jazz for Joplin organization.  Rosberg is backed by saxophonist David Chael, guitarist Danny Embrey, pianist Mark Lowrey, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Zack Albetta on the project.  That's heady company for a man known as "Mr. Cedar Creek".  Rosberg's singing may be sampled here.

A Bob Bowman Christmas

What a band! Bob Bowman, Roger Wilder, Dave Chael, Bryan Hicks, Rod Fleeman and Brandon Draper perform "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." (Tip on the video from Lee Ingalls.)