Now's the Time: Tony Tixier

The French pianist Tony Tixier is returning to Kansas City next week for a handful of gigs.  He’ll perform at the Majestic on Wednesday, at the American on Friday, at the Art Factory on Saturday and with Diverse at Sunday's Celebration at the Station.

Plastic Sax's Top Albums of 2014

Plastic Sax's Favorite Kansas City-Related Jazz Albums of 2014
1. Peter Schlamb- Tinks (Plastic Sax review.)
2. Pat Metheny Unity Group- Kin (Plastic Sax review.)
3. The Project H- We Live Among the Lines (Plastic Sax review.)
4. Diverse- Our Journey (Plastic Sax review.)
5. Jorge Arana Trio- Oso (Plastic Sax review.)
6. Frank Wess- Magic 201
7. Everette DeVan- For the Love of You (Plastic Sax review.)
8. J.E. Chapman- 364 Days (Plastic Sax review.)
9. David Basse- The Hero and the Lover… (Plastic Sax review.)
10. Shades of Jade- Fingerprinted Memories (Plastic Sax review.)

Plastic Sax's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2014 From Elsewhere
1. Flying Lotus- You're Dead!
2. Kris Bowers- Heroes + Misfits
3. Danilo Pérez- Panama 500
4. David Binney- Anacapa
5. Ambrose Akinmusire- The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint
6. Takuya Kuroda- Rising Son
7. Bohren & der Club of Gore- Piano Nights
8. GoGo Penguin- v2.0
9. Regina Carter- Southern Comfort
10. Oliver Lake Organ Quartet- What I Heard

Similar year-end listings were published at Plastic Sax in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Alive's schedule of events for a "Kansas City Charlie Parker Celebration" includes a "Historical Tour & Musical Salute."

*The Pitch lauds the Green Lady Lounge's commitment to organ jazz.

*Tracks by Everette DeVan and Diverse were featured on KCUR's Up To Date.

*Chris Burnett considers his "thoughtful" approach.

*KMBC reports that an early morning shooting occurred last Saturday at 19th and Vine.

*Jazz festivals in other markets are analyzed by KC Jazz Lark.

*Joe Dimino interviewed California-based saxophonist Doc Stewart for his Neon Jazz podcast.

*Tweet o' the Week: Broadway Jazz Club- Don't forget, we will be closed on Tuesdays starting this month, but we will be having #jazzbruch starting this Sunday! #kc #kcmo #livejazz

*Comment o' the Week: Mike T.- one of my favorite tunes on the ipod is dan gailey's "point, no point." I think KU's band is exceptional... and we can see them for free? on the eve of day off from work? count me in!

*From Shades of Jade: …After years of hard work, fine tuning, and defining of its fingerprint sound, Shades of Jade, a midwestern jazz collective will release its debut album September 21st 2014.  With various influences coming from Jazz, Pop, R&B, Blues, Funk, Rock, Classical, and Hip Hop, “Shades of Jade: Fingerprinted Memories pt: I” tells the personal story of the ethos portrayed in past experiences of the average American… Great composers of this album include young conservatory trained artists like Joshua Williams (B.A.C. Endorsed Trumpet) Desmond Mason (Piano and Keyboards) Dominique Sanders (Bass) Justin McCoy (Drums) and special guest artist composer DCPLX.

*From Ticketmaster: On August 23, 2014, Kansas City will induct six great Jazz Musician's into the American Jazz Walk of Fame during its inaugural ceremony and concert featuring the Count Basie Orchestra and Bobby Watson and the American Jazz Orchestra. These artists names will be placed on bronze medallions and imbedded in the sidewalks around the American Jazz Museum in the Historic 18th & Vine District. The unveiling of these medallions will occur at 6:30 pm followed by the concert at 7:00 pm. This annual event will continue to add more bronze medallions bearing the names great Jazz Artists.

*From Doug Talley: The Doug Talley Quintet will be performing at the Blue Room, 18th and Vine, KCMO, this Saturday, July 5, 8:30pm… Our new CD, “Chess Players: Music of Wayne Shorter,” contains music written and originally performed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and set in a variety of instrument combinations and styles.  Joe Parisi - trumpet and flugelhorn. Wayne Hawkins - piano. Tim Brewer - acoustic and electric bass. Keith Kavanaugh - drums and cymbals. Doug Talley - saxes and clarinet. 

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated for July.

(Original image of Stan Kessler, Matt Leifer and Bill McKemy by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark has kind words for the American Jazz Museum.

*Lisa Henry, Jim Mair and Doug Talley are among the musicians featured in a The Kansas City Star article about jazz education.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Sonny Rollins (!) for his Neon Jazz podcast.

*Tony Bennett's concert at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts was  reviewed by The Kansas City Star.

*A blogger calls Diverse's Our Journey a wise and prophetic classical jazzy journey.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Clint Ashlock muses on bandleading and composing in a new blog post.

*The Kansas City Star reports on a couple's plan to restore the castle-like structure at 2001 Vine Street.

*Tweet o' the Week: Kansas City Dates- LIKE JAZZ??? (kcmo) - I'm a single black man in my 50's and would like to meet a woman who is also single and … (link).

*Comment o' the Week: I'd like to thank the thoughtful Plastic Sax readers who point out typos and misprints.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Steve Kraske featured Hermon Mehari of Diverse on KCUR's Up To Date.  Natalie Gallagher of The Pitch interviewed Mehari and Ryan Lee.

*The Pitch highlights an upcoming Molly Hammer performance.

*Joe Dimino of Neon Jazz interviewed E.E. Pointer of the River Cow Orchestra.

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

*Tweet o' the Week: Tom Snow- Voyage with Bobby Watson #kcjazz (photo)

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- Well, that whole thing where the blog comments got lost in an unchecked mailbox for several months was nice while it lasted…

*From a press release: On Friday May 16th from 9pm-1am, renowned Jazz saxophonist and founder of popular soul band Jack Mack and the Heart Attack, Bill Bergman will be playing a show at the Broadway Jazz Club to commemorate his 50th anniversary of playing in Kansas City.  Bergman will be accompanied by hometown friends from Kansas City Latin jazz band Sons of Brasil in order to create a unique fusion of contemporary LA jazz and Kansas City grooves…

(Original image of Eddie Moore and Adam Schlozman at the Green Lady Lounge 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

*The Pitch reports that Dionne Jeroue has died.  The vocalist was 35.  KCJazzLark mourns her death.  In the handful of times I'd heard Jeroue, she was performing as a member of Everette DeVan's band.  Here's a related online fundraiser.

*Mike Dillon's Band of Outsiders was released on Tuesday.

*The new season of the Live at the Hollywood Theater concert series opens May 10 with a concert by Diverse and Black House Quartet.

*Eliot Zigmund was interviewed by Joe Klopus in advance of his area gigs with Rob Scheps.  The Pitch also takes note of the barnstorming tour.

*KCTV reports that Olathe South High School was mired in a racial profiling flap related to a field trip to the Jazz District. 

*Nate Chinen reviewed a concert by the Pat Metheny Unity Group for The New York Times.

*Los Angeles Magazine examines Charlie Parker's work for Dial.

*Joe Dimino of Neon Jazz interviewed Doug Peete.

*Tweet o' the Week: Brad Allen- Just heard about Dionne Jeroue. So sad.

*From a press release: The Count Basie Orchestra, one of the greatest and most important jazz orchestras in history, will play at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 27, in Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College.  Tickets, which are $35 and $25, are available through the JCCC Box Office at 913-469-4445 or online at jccc.edu/TheSeries.  Scotty Barnhart, who was appointed as director in September, now leads the 18-member orchestra. Barnhart discovered his passion for music at an early age while being raised in Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. christened him. He has been a featured trumpet soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra for the last 20 years…

(Original image of a mural in Toronto by Plastic Sax.)

No Church in the Wild

I recently walked out on band during the first chorus of "Kansas City."  The Kansas City jazz musicians weren't catering to out-of-town basketball fans in a downtown bar.  They were playing for locals.  That's just not right.  Musicians can perform whatever they want, of course, but that doesn't mean I have to willingly endure it. 

I often find myself dodging gigs by locally-based musicians just because I know that I can't tolerate hearing their overly familiar renditions of classic compositions by Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter and Count Basie again. 

Acknowledging that it's 2013 is one way to avoid stagnancy.  In addition to a repertoire of worthy originals, Diverse plays a solid arrangement of a hit from Watch the Throne.  Phonologotron focuses on contemporary pop material.  Mark Lowrey plays an intriguing version of "Buildings and Mountains" by the Kansas City rock band the Republic Tigers.

It's an unhealthy sign that much of the positive attention the Next Collective is receiving is due to its contemporary song selection instead of the brilliant playing of its members.  Young musicians should perform material like "No Church in the Wild" as a matter of course. 

I have no intention of reviving the controversy associated with Benjamin Schwarz's controversial review of Ted Gioia's The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire.  Nor do I endorse a disavowal of the past.  Instead, I'm merely encouraging a handful of hidebound musicians to consider updating their songbooks.

(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.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Pat Metheny won his twentieth Grammy Award on Sunday when Unity Band was named Best Jazz Instrumental Album.  Metheny spoke to his hometown newspaper last month.  (Via Pat Metheny News.)   Additionally, the audio version of Metheny's The Orchestrion Project was released yesterday. 

*Diverse appears in a new music video for Reach's "How To Fish".

*Eddie Moore tells Ink magazine about the music he loves.  A prominent hip hop blog compliments Moore's new album.

*Chris Burnett suggests that Kansas City's jazz veterans including Bob Bowman, Deborah Brown, Rod Fleeman and Will Matthews are unfairly overlooked by taste-makers.

*The promotional efforts for the Next Collective's forthcoming album,  continue with a quip from Logan Richardson.

*Chuck Berg reviewed Wycliffe Gordon's recent performance in Topeka. (Via Offstage.)

*YouTube gold- Check out John Park's gorgeous solo on "I Can't Get Started" "(f)rom the out-of print "If Winter Comes" LP. Recorded in 1975 at Kansas City jazz fest."

*Tweet o' the Week: Heinlein Music- @HappyInBag named "Become Light" the 2nd best KC jazz CD last year. The guy that got first just won a Grammy. We're OK with 2nd.

*Comment of the Week: Cb- HIB: "Is Kenny Garrett the fully-realized artistic heir of John Coltrane?" Cb: No. Kenny Garrett has is own distinct thing that seems to be more based upon what he was doing with Miles (only acoustic). Steve Coleman and his M-Base theorists might be closer to the John Coltranes of our age - if such a distinction could actually even exists. Of course, just my opinion ;) Peace, Cb

*From the Kansas City Symphony: Kansas City's very own Bobby Watson will host a jazz master class on Saturday, February 16 at 11 a.m. in Helzberg Hall. This event is free and open to the public and reservations are required.

*From a press release: Pianist Amina Figarova… comes to Kansas City as part of a 12-city US tour with "one of jazz' very best working bands"... on Thursday, March 7 at The Blue Room.  Figarova's sextet, featuring Bart Platteau on flutes, Ernie Hammes on trumpet, Marc Mommaas on tenor sax, Jeroen Vierdag on bass and Chris "Buckshot" Strik on drums, tours in support of its 2012 album Twelve, which has earned wide critical acclaim.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Logan Richardson tells The Revivalist about the role he plays in the forthcoming album by the Next Collective.

*KCJazzLark's provocative commentary on the size and scope of Kansas City's jazz audience is fascinating.

*Matt Hopper is singled out for praise in a review of the debut album by Eddie Moore & the Outer Circle.

*Diverse made a portion of a recent Michael Jackson tribute performance available as a free download.

*The Prairie Village Post reports that a professional fundraiser may be utilized by the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.  (Tip via Offstage.)

*Tim Finn checks in with Jeff Harshbarger about the bassist's forthcoming trip to Europe.

*The American Jazz Museum's Glenn North spoke to The Kansas City Star about the relationship between jazz and poetry.

*Phonologotronic shares a "teaser".

*The Pitch reveals that UMKC has a student-run internet radio station.  And yes, the schedule indicates that there's jazz programming.

*All About Jazz offers an extensive review of the audio portion of Pat Metheny's The Orchestrion Project.  (Via Pat Metheny News.)

*Jef Lee Johnson has died.  The guitarist performed with Esperanza Spalding at Helzberg Hall last October.

*Tweet o' the Week: JeneeinKC- Jazz and Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop and Jazz. I love KC.

*Comment of the Week: Stanton Kessler- Thank you Mr.Sax, I am thrilled that you liked our project so much! Hopefully, it will induce more people to enjoy us live. Mike, you are too kind.

*Via the Folly Theater: The lineup for Kenny Garrett's February 15 concert is Kenny Garrett - saxophone, Rudy Bird, percussion, Vernell Brown, Jr., piano, Corcoran Holt, bass, McClenty Hunter, Jr.,drums.

*From Jim Mair: Jazz by the Lake. Thursday February 7, 2013. Noon to 1:00pm. Diverse trio with Hermon Mehari, Ben Leifer, Brad Williams. KCKCC Conference Center by the Lake. Free and Free food. In a living room atmosphere, a very intimate space. The most Diverse audience in Kansas City. (unintentional pun).  All ages and all stages and beyond.

*From the Kansas City Symphony: KC's very own Bobby Watson continues the fine traditions of Charlie Parker and Count Basie, performing jazz standards with a special twist. For this show, Watson is joined by 20 of the best jazz musicians in the Midwest, including David Basse, Rod Fleeman, Dan Thomas, Steve Malloy, Horace Washington, Roger Wilder and others.  Get ready to jam! February 15-16, Helzberg Hall.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Sepian Bounce

A minor milestone in the evolution of Kansas City's jazz scene transpired on February 1.

Diverse played a hip-hop show at the RecordBar.  Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle performed jazz inspired by hip-hop during its record release party at the Blue Room.  Forward-thinking pianist Mark Lowrey and drummer Brad Williams entertained at the Green Lady Lounge.  The Jorge Arana Trio participated in a rock-oriented show at the Czar Bar.

Audiences were just as likely to hear covers of songs by J Dilla, Michael Jackson and Radiohead as material by Count Basie and Charlie Parker.  The younger musicians who participated in these shows aren't necessarily superior to their elder counterparts.  They merely have a different perspective than the jazz artists who worked elsewhere Friday night. 

These four events signal an unofficial changing of the guard.  I expect that The Kansas City Jazz Calendar will increasingly resemble nights like February 1.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Doug and Lori Chandler: The Plastic Sax People of the Year

Two of the most valuable people on Kansas City's jazz scene are amateur musicians.  Doug Chandler plays drums.  Lori Chandler is a bass guitar student.  Yet the couple's musical talents have nothing to do with the crucial contribution they've made to the area's live music landscape. The co-owners of Take Five Coffee + Bar are Plastic Sax's 2012 people of the year.

As several conventional jazz venues have shuttered or shifted formats, the Chandlers have provided an increasingly ambitious refuge for the music at Take Five.  The couple spoke to Plastic Sax at their home earlier this month about their experiences since opening Take Five on January 2, 2010.

"It started out as just a coffee shop," Doug said.  "We didn't set out to do music." 

Take Five was the site of a fundraiser designed to help finance the European trip of jazz act Diverse in early 2010.  Shortly afterwards guitarist Ron Carlson contacted the Chandlers about the possibility of booking additional jazz performances.  Other musicians, including Stan Kessler, were soon added to the mix. 

A jazz venue was born.

"We started taking what was in our business plans for marketing and using that money to pay bands," Lori said.

"We make our money five dollars at a time," Doug added.  "The rest of the business is very important to us but the jazz sets us apart."

The unconventional strategy isn't without risk.

"Some nights it works amazingly well.  Other nights it doesn't," Lori said. "To a certain extent that's how we gauge who is going to come back.  To come back you have to be someone we're really passionate about or make money for us."

Musicians have learned to respect Take Five in spite of its suburban location in southern Johnson County.

"Every time a musician plays there for the first time I have to imagine what's going through their head is, 'I'm going out to Leawood and I'm going to play in a coffee shop'," Lori suggests.  "They get out there and they have a crowd and that crowd is hanging on every note.  And all of a sudden it's cool.  But it takes getting over that 'coffee shop in Leawood' thing."

Audiences have also been remarkably receptive.

"There's something about the intimacy," Doug explained.  "The overall concept of Take Five is we try to make it like your satellite living room.  It's as comfortable as going into your own front room but you don't have to do the dishes. You can be your own host in our place.  That intimacy carries over when we set a band in a corner of the room and someone like Clint Ashlock is blowing his trumpet right in front of a twelve-year-old kid in a comfy chair.  The kid is mesmerized by what Clint's doing.  Parents realize that's something you can't get anywhere else.  They can have a glass of wine yet not feel like they're going into a bar." 

The room's excellent acoustics enhance the experience.

"We got super lucky," Lori noted.  "The one thing I would change about the room is the damn pole."

The unfortunate placement of a structural beam seems to be one of the few barriers between Take Five and the area's musicians.

"We look at the musicians like family.  We want to be a place where they will try out things that won't try out somewhere else," Doug said.  "They're partners.  We want them to do well and they want us to do well."

Lori is philosophical about the relationship.

"We appreciate the music.  We will continue to book music that we really like and people that we really like and push the limits," she said.  "We're not just a venue.   We care about the musicians and the people that come to see them.  I just want to be part of the jazz community."

The previous Plastic Sax people of the year are Jeff Harshbarger in 2011, Mark Lowrey in 2010 and Hermon Mehari in 2009.

(Image supplied by Doug and Lori Chandler.)

Groovin' High: First Impressions of the Kill Devil Club

The first thing that impressed me on my initial visit to the Kill Devil Club, a new venue featuring live jazz at the southeast corner of 14th & Main last week, was the volume.  Diverse, the evening's featured entertainment, was loud.  Really loud. I've seen Hermon Mehari's band perform at least two dozen times, but only the Riot Room has amplified the band to such an extreme level.  I loved it.

Even so, most of the fifty young and notably attractive people in the room shouted over Diverse's groove-oriented covers of hits by Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.  Only Diverse's rendition of "*****'* In Paris" put a halt to the chatter.

The second thing that made a big impression on me were the substantial ice cubes that chilled my delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice.  So manly!  The extensive drink menu is pricey, but the Kill Devil Club's friendly service, swanky decor and dim lighting make alcohol seem like a wise investment.  The opportunity to enjoy jazz while contemplating an expansive view of the Power & Light District and the iconic H&R Block building adds to the club's allure.

The venue isn't perfect.  The small stage is in the central corner of the L-shaped space. Most of the seating, consequently, offers obstructed views of the stage.  And the Kill Devil Club's growing pains include an unclear cover charge policy and woefully inadequate advance notification of bookings.

The Kill Devil Club has been open for less than a month.  A recent string of failed jazz ventures has given advocates of the music numerous reasons to be skeptical.  For now, however, the Kill Devil Club serves as a very welcome addition to Kansas City's jazz scene.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Orchestrion Project, a documentary about Pat Metheny's ambitious automated concept, hits movie theaters in fifteen states on Thursday, October 3.  No showings are scheduled in Kansas or Missouri.  Metheny is also interviewed by USA Today.

*Joe Klopus offers a survey of October's jazz events.

*The ongoing success of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is admired by KCJazzLark.

*Diverse will be among the performers at the opening reception for Prairie Logic on Friday, October 5.  The band is scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. at "Kansas City's newest public art project and performance venue."

*Phonologotronic offers an irritable examination of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*The RecordBar promotes Sunday's show by the People's Liberation Big Band.

*Our Path to This Moment: the Rob Scheps Big Band Plays the Music of Ezra Weiss with Special Guest Greg Gisbert was released last month.  Scheps performs frequently in the Kansas City area.

*The Phoenix was a jazz club for much of its 22-year existence.  The 2012 Phoenix Fest on Saturday, October 6, features four rock bands, one blues band, an R&B act and two jazz-oriented acts that perform material by the likes of Gloria Gaynor and Bill Withers.

*The opening reception for the American Jazz Museum's Beyond Words: A Fusion of Poetry, Visual Art & Jazz is Friday, October 5, 2012, from 6-9 pm.

*I wish an animated video I made in 2010 was no longer applicable.

*Saturday's concert by Gary Burton, Chick Corea and the Harlem String Quartet was reviewed by The Kansas City Star.

*A blogger reviewed Nellie McKay's concert at Polsky Theatre.

*Mr. the Toad recently played "free form jazz" on his "plastic toy sax".

*Tweet o' the Week: ChrisHazeltonB3- The concert I saw last Friday was amazing! I think @BenFolds Five should hire me to play B-3 for the rest of the tour. #PipeDreams

*Comment o' the Week: Saul- So much of it is marketing and perception.  The Folly's marketing is antiquated. Even the free billboards they get don't help much.  Delfeayo and Sean Jones just were not advertised well. I found out about it too late.  Burton and Chick are an easy sell... even at the Gem Theater with its horrendous sound system operator.  If I were a Kansas City jazz presenter I would spend a couple of days with Jon Poses (We always Swing)in Columbia. I would visit with Tim Whitmer and the KCJO on how to market things. Go to the source! Model the masters.  In my opinion, a large part of the population that lives on Facebook doesn't have the dough to attend events. People with money are working one or two jobs, saving and have a time management plan in their daily lives and not killing time on Facebook. They paln things well in advance becauese their schedules are so full of commitments.  The JCCC stuff is not well publicized and the Winterlude dates are the Carlsen Center "left over" dates....possibly the least desirable dates of the year. Sure there are a few ads but you need a PR MACHINE.God bless Doreen Morande at JCCC. She does good work but she is retired for goodness sake. How can you expect Doreen to be responsible for getting people in the seats....she is just one person.  The Carlsen Center and Blue Room have minimal accountability because they are well funded by the government or an endowment. The KCJO, Jon Poses and Tim Whitmer have major accountability. If their programs don't draw the series' end.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Klopus reports that Lonnie McFadden has released a new album.

*Delfeayo Marsalis' appearance at the Blue Room was reviewed by The Kansas City Star.

*Here's a 30-second radio spot for the upcoming Rhythm & Ribs Festival.

*Music recorded at a recent performance by the Black House Improvisors' Collective is available at its site.

*KCJazzLark shares additional photos from the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*I asked Hermon Mehari about "Full Circle," a track from the forthcoming Diverse album that's also available on the free 41-track Midwestern Audio compilation.  He told me that it's "(i)nspired musically by me playing in more gospel music situations and conceptually by the general idea of many things in life seeming to come 'full circle' if we look at these ideas and situations in the right away."

*Joyce Smith reports on the food and drink menu of the Kill Devil Club.

*Weedstock, the successor to Jazz In the Weeds, takes place on October 6.  The music of each of the participating acts- Mistura Fina, Passport, Black Tie Billie and the Blues Notions- includes elements of jazz.

*Marc Myers admires two obscure Frank Foster albums.

*The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in Tulsa is in financial jeopardy.

*Comment o' the Week: Dr. John- Wynton, Branford you guys sound like your much less successful brother - Delfeayo, for real. - You keep proselytizing to the masses who by and large do not care for your obsolete takes on "What Music is", "What Jazz is." Please try and keep on topic. I think the review was spot on. Yes there are some intonation problems but the record does capture the extreme energy of a HOD performance and is an accurate portrayal of what the band is all about. There are some killin' moments on this disc, most have to do with a very talented rhythm section that is only gong to get better.

*Tweet o' the Week: CharleyinKC- I just had a drink at the Kill Devil Club in P&L. I think they're still trying to figure themelves out, but when they do it could be cool.

*From Rob Scheps: Saxophonist Rob Scheps returns to Kansas City, and Kansas in general from New York City for a tour with longtime colleague, world renowned jazz trumpeter Shunzo Ohno…  Ohno comes to us DIRECT from Tokyo, Japan…  The Tour...
*Fri. Oct. 12  Rob Scheps + Ron Carlson Trio- Lucky Brewgrille
*Sat. Oct. 13  Rob Scheps with Joe Cartwright Trio- KCUR- FM
*Wed. Oct. 17 Rob Scheps, Shunzo Ohno with Faculty Jazz Ensemble- Ottawa University
*Thurs. Oct. 18 Rob Scheps/ Shunzo Ohno Quintet with Roger Wilder, Bob Bowman, Ryan Lee- Take Five Coffee Bar
*Fri. Oct. 19 Rob Scheps, Shunzo Ohno + Ron Carlson Trio- Lucky Brewgrille
*Thurs. Oct. 25 Rob Scheps, Shunzo Ohno + Ron Carlson Trio- West Chase Grille
*Fri. Oct. 26 Rob Scheps, Shunzo Ohno + Ron Carlson Trio- Lucky Brewgrille
*Sat. Oct. 27 The Rob Scheps / Shunzo Ohno Quintet with Roger Wilder, Bob Bowman, Brian Steever- The Blue Room

(Original image taken at the Blue Room on September 21 by Plastic Sax.  From left to right- Richard Johnson, Jeremy Boettcher, Delfeayo Marsalis, Sean Jones and Bobby Watson.)

Review: The 2012 Prairie Village Jazz Festival

After captivating an audience of about 3,000 at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival with a wondrous version of "In a Sentimental Mood," Bobby Watson asked a rhetorical question.

"Who said ballads don't work at festivals?"

Almost everything worked Saturday at the suburban event. The weather was gorgeous. The food vendor's offerings were delicious. The set changes were efficient. And most importantly, the music was incredible. I caught all eight hours of Saturday's festival. My impressions of each act follow.

Diverse opened shortly after 3 p.m. Working as a trio and concentrating on standards, Hermon Mehari, Ben Leifer and Brad Williams played with subtle authority. With Williams replacing drummer Ryan Lee, the band has an entirely new feel. It's not better or worse- just different.

A few people whined on Facebook that the People's Liberation Big Band weren't given the opportunity to perform this year after a storm canceled most of last year's acts. Such complaints were silly. Saxophonist Wheeler and drummer Sam Wisman are members of PLBB. They were joined by the forward-thinking tandem of T.J. Martley and Bill McKemy. Anyone looking for subversiveness would have been satisfied by a set-closing cover of a Tortoise tune. Wheeler's set was my favorite of the day.

Mike Metheny's set, however, was the best received outing of the day. His commitment to swing elicited ecstatic sighs from many people seated near me. It didn't hurt that Metheny employed bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Todd Strait. Bringing Mehari and Wheeler back to the stage for a burning version of Jimmy Smith's "Back At the Chicken Shack" was another smart move.

Fronting a band of ringers, Megan Birdsall was her usual delightful self.

Supported by keyboardist Richard Johnson, longtime bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Mike Warren, Watson was also predictably excellent. Johnson's funk-infused keyboard work on"Lemoncello" added a new dimension to Watson's sound.

Aside from her relentless chiding of the sound men, Karrin Allyson was a joy in her role as headliner. I was almost moved to tears during her heartbreaking version "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." Watson and bassist Bob Bowman sat in for a closing rendition of "Well, You Needn't." It was a fine conclusion to a festival that was easily the area's single best large-scale jazz event of the last five years.

(Original images by Plastic Sax.  From left to right in top photo- T.J. Martley, Hermon Mehari, Gerald Spaits, Rich Wheeler, Mike Metheny, Todd Strait.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Mark Lowrey, Hermon Mehari, Jeff Harshbarger and representatives of the Project H and the People's Liberation Big Band are among the musicians who participated in Q-and-A sessions for The Pitch.

*Marilyn Maye will receive the "2012 Outstanding Kansas Citian Award” from The Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas City on September 18 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

*"I really idolize Matt Otto for his playing and writing.  He just epitomizes everything I love about music," Jeff Stocks says in a Black House Improvisors' Collective interview.

*Set times for the Prairie Village Jazz Festival have been published.

*T.J. Martley's Meditations Vol. 1 has been released.

*KCJazzLark marks his third anniversary as a jazz blogger.

*The Topeka Capital-Journal offers a preview of the forthcoming Topeka Jazz Workshop series.  (Via KC Stage Blog.)

*Touring band conflict alert- Skerik's Bandalabra performs at The Brick and Todd Clouser appears at the RecordBar on September 19.

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- what the HELL is with all these photos you post? Also, please, enough with this Unity Band stuff already. Cheers.

*Tweet o' the Week: yurishimojo- Pat Metheny Unity Band を聴きに行きました　Upstateの森の中　古いオペラハウス　音楽好きなともだちと　お弁当つくってピクニック　豊かな一日　わたしって大人　 帰りはヤンキース試合後の渋滞に巻きこまれました　わたしってニューヨーカー

*From Joe Powers: Harmonica virtuoso, Joe Powers makes his debut performance in Kansas City with guitarist Beau Bledsoe. Powers is known for bending and blending genres from jazz to classical, hip-hop to world music, and Argentine Tango. Since gaining a music degree from the University of Oregon he has performed around the world, from Paris to Tokyo to tango-crazy Buenos Aires… His latest album, "Just Duet!" (2012) features eclectic harmonica duos with 12 different instruments. Kansas City Arts Academy, Grassroots concert series Saturday, August 11th, 8pm, 7933 Main St. KC, MO 64114  Ticket $10 and $15 for preferred seating.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Out of Nowhere

If surprise is one of the most treasured qualities of jazz, why are so many performances by jazz musicians entirely predictable?  I've heard many of the same men and women play precisely the same solos on the same material with the same accompanists for twenty years.  Advocates of these artists presumably appreciate their constancy.  Others, myself included, think this mentality is stale. 

That's just one reason many members of the new wave of jazz musicians working in Kansas City is so refreshing.  On Saturday, for instance, Diverse performed at the Riot Room as part of the annual Pitch Music Showcase.  Rather than offering a straight jazz set, Hermon Mehari, Dominique Sanders, Brad Williams, Peter Schlamb and Matt Villinger backed Reach in an invigorating groove-based, rap-themed show. 

One could easily argue that the atypical lineup and the emphasis on hip hop disqualified the outing as a "jazz" performance and even as a "Diverse" performance. A conventional jazz purist attending attending Saturday's showcase expecting to hear Mehari's updates on Clifford Brown material would undoubtedly have been furious.  Yet Mehari had advised his Facebook followers earlier in the day of the content of the gig.

The incorporation of elements of hip hop, obviously, isn't necessary to make jazz interesting.  A great soloist- Kansas City's Bobby Watson comes immediately to mind- could find an infinite number of intriguing ways to play familiar standards.  And plenty of forward-thinking musicians ranging from the members of the People's Liberation Big Band to Pat Metheny are notoriously loathe to repeat themselves.

I hope that the risks regularly taken by the members of Diverse and by peers including fellow Pitch Music Showcase artist Mark Lowrey remind the entirety of the regional jazz community that improvisation shouldn't necessarily be limited to solos played on the bandstand.

(Original image of "Diverse" playing "jazz" at the Riot Room by "Plastic Sax.")