Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark scrutinizes the Mutual Musicians Foundation’s plans to launch a low-wattage radio station.

*Joe Klopus highlights the Hot Sardines’ forthcoming performance in his weekly column.

*A 1,200-word review of Dominique Sanders’ new album is posted at Demencha.

*The Pitch recommends a performance by Bob Bowman, Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman.

*Are any jazz musicians part of the famous mural at BB’s Lawnside BBQ?  A reception with the artist at the restaurant on Sunday, February 22, will provide answers.

*Tweet o’ the Week: No Depression- A week from now, our Editor @kimruehl will be in Kansas City for @folkalliance. Who else is heading out there this week?

*From Shades of Jade: The local music group Shades of Jade has gone through several changes in the last few months. Beginning with a traditional jazz quartet instrumentation in 2011, their campaign to push towards a more popular and younger following in the last 3 months has drastically changed the band… They have just recently started an artist residency with… The Tank Room. Shades of Jade will be exclusively debuting their new original music every third Friday of the month this year from 9pm-1am.

*From Chris Burnett: On behalf of the children of Violet Lorraine Jackson Burnett, our children and spouses, I regret to inform you all of the passing of our eldest brother and my very first professional musical mentor, Richard Dean Pratt… Known professionally as Richie Pratt​, we in the family called him by his middle name "Dean".  The biggest question we have been asked all of our lives is why we have different last names.  We have the same mother and different fathers. Many of you may recall that Dean returned home to the Kansas City area to live in October of 2012 from Honolulu, Hawaii due primarily to on-going serious health issues inherent to being a really large man, along with some other ailments related to age… I am sad that he is gone, but he lived a long and wonderful life.

*From a press release: Parranderos Latin Combo performs February 21st at Take Five Coffee + Bar in support of their self-titled debut album that was recorded in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Iowa-based Latin music group, Parranderos Latin Combo (PLC), will play two sets of live salsa with a dance lesson by Josh Hernandez… This will be PLC’s debut performance at Take Five Coffee + Bar and will feature some of KC’s finest musicians including Karl McComas-Reichl, Chris Van Leeuwen, Ryan Heinlein and co-founding PLC member, John Kizilarmut.

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: Friday night we present the Ben Leifer Quartet featuring Gunnar Gidner… a young tenor saxophonist… John Brewer is on guitar, and played some mind-blowing free improvisation at our old location, and Matt Leifer on drums… 8pm, $5 cover.  Saturday night’s extravaganza features the first Kansas City appearance for Des Moines based Parranderos Latin Combo… Free (dance) lessons at 7:30, show at 8:30 (and this one’s going late).  $10 cover.  Our last Sunday brunch before our Month of Sundays series begins is hosted by none other than Stan Kessler.  10am to 2pm, no cover.

*I will serve as the pre-concert interview host with The Hot Sardines at the Folly Theater at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 21.  Feel free to heckle.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Folk Jazz

I spotted a lone tuba amid the hundreds of fiddles, banjos and guitars I saw on stages and in the hallways at the Folk Alliance Conference at the Westin Crown Center on Saturday.  Brass instruments were a rarity at the four-day event that attracted a reported 3,000 people to Kansas City. 

With 11 official stages and countless spontaneous jam sessions, the absence of a designated jazz-themed forum was disheartening.  The addition of the music associated with Kansas City would have been a nice component of what seemed to be an entirely successful event.

The proposal isn't all that strange.  Locally-based jazz musician Matt Otto refers to his music as "folk-jazz".  And Béla Fleck is just one of thousands of jazz-minded musicians who have emerged from the world of progressive bluegrass.  Beau Bledsoe of Alaturka gets it.  I saw him taking in a performance by the Turkish-born oud master Ismail Hakki Fencioglu at the expansive festival.

Kansas City will host the conference for the next few years.  I fully expect enterprising jazz musicians and promoters to explore the possibilities of an artistically fruitful association with the locally-based Folk Alliance.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark was the victim of an attempted mugging outside a jazz club.

*There was a shooting last Saturday night in the Jazz District.  (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Joe Dimino interviewed Ken Lovern for Neon Jazz.

*The Pitch plugs a performance featuring Megan Birdsall.

*An early review of the Pat Metheny Unity Group's Kin suggests that "for those who've missed the epic compositional work of Pat Metheny Group, this will be the closest they're likely to get…"

*Tweet o' the Week: Stacy- Jazz & seafood = Nice little Saturday evening! #gaslightgrill (photo)

*From a press release: Johnson County Community College has announced the performance schedule for the spring 2014 Jazz Series. The series, which brings to the stage some of Kansas City’s premiere jazz musicians, is now in its 25th year.  The recitals take place at noon Tuesday for six consecutive weeks, Feb. 25 to April 1. All performances, which are free and open to the public, are held in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center unless otherwise noted. Here is the lineup: Feb. 25 Mark Lowrey, March 4 Bill Crain Group, March 11 Lori Tucker Ensemble, March 18 Al Pearson Quartet,*Polsky Theatre, March 25 PBT featuring Rod Fleeman, April 1 Ron Carlson Group.

*From a press release: The University of Kansas Wind Ensemble, conducted by Paul W. Popiel, Director of Bands, and Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dan Gailey, Director of Jazz Studies, will present a shared concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Lied Center of Kansas.  The evening will begin with a special performance by KU Saxophone Quartet I, Vince Gnojek, director, of Tim Davies’ Krunch...  Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children, seniors and students.

*From a press release: MusiCares, in collaboration with the Folk Alliance Conference and Smiles Programs, The Mobile Dentists, will host a free dental clinic for music professionals.  (To qualify, participants must document at least five years of professional music career history.)  Eligible individuals will receive a complete dental exam, bitewing X-rays and a dental cleaning.  Please call MusiCares at 1.877.303.6962 to determine eligibility and request application materials.

*From Jim Mair: Details about The Kansas City Kansas Community College/Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Jazz Camp in June are here.

*From Mark Lowrey: I've been on a month long artist residency…  I return early next week.  And have a few fun things coming up… I'm starting a new band with Singers Dionne Jeroue and Eboni Fondren with drummer Ryan Lee and bassist Karl McComas-Riechl.  It's an r&b/soul/jazz project.  All the songs are about love and sex.  Re-invented covers from Fiona Apple, Esperanza Spalding, Donnie Hathaway, John Legend. etc… Official first show is at the Broadway Jazz Club March 22… Continuing regular weeklys: Sunday and Monday at the Majestic Restaurant: Mark Lowrey Trio 6-10pm; Wednesday (background) solo piano at Cafe Trio 6-9pm; Friday 4:30-8:30pm at the Phoenix with the Lonnie McFadden Trio; Friday later: Mark Lowrey Trio 9pm-12am at the Green Lady Lounge.   

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)