Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Yoko Takemura recounts the backstory of the release of Jay McShann’s new Live in Tokyo album for Jazz Tokyo.

*Selections by Karrin Allyson, Peter Schlamb and Bobby Watson and were highlighted in an episode of the weekly radio program Eight One Sixty titled “Best Albums of the Decade.”

*Julian Vaughn’s Supreme debuted at #6 on Billboard’s jazz albums chart.

*A quartet led by vocalist Kelly Gant performed on Star Sessions.  Gant is among the artists on the bill at a fundraiser for Molly Hammer at Mod Gallery on Sunday, July 14.

*Chris Burnett is featured on page 130 of the latest issue of KC Studio magazine.

*Brad Allen and Herschel McWilliams were interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*An essayist proposes that Robert Altman’s “films are a true reflection of the Kansas style Jazz that he grew up with in his hometown.”

*Tweet o’ the Week: Sabrina Moella- 10. But back to the show, the whole band was excellent. Kristopher Funn on bass, Lawrence Fields on piano, Corey Fonville on drums, Chief aTunde Adjuah himself on trompet, Logan Richardson on the sax & Weedie Braimah on djembe. Chile. That's a jazz band dream team right there.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The story behind the release of a new Jay McShann album is documented in an audio feature for KCUR.

*The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra announced its 2019-20 concert season.

*Joe Dimino conducted interviews with Kelley Gant and B.J. Jansen.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Clint Ashlock- Hey @UMKansasCity thanks for booting my car for no permit when I parked for 10 minutes - you just lost thousands of dollars in alumni donations! I’ll never donate to one of your causes again! @UMKCCons

*From a Take Five Productions press release: Musicians For Molly - a Fundraiser. Molly Hammer is a beloved member of our stellar Kansas City jazz community. A stunning vocalist who has continued performing throughout her battle with breast cancer, Molly's fierce determination has inspired us all. Our goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of the night… Featuring nine bands, a jam session and a silent auction... Some of KC's best have volunteered their time for the cause - Boogaloo 7, Sons of Brasil, Brad Gregory Sextet featuring Kelley Gant, Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Alyssa Murray, Project H and the Deshtet featuring Kadesh Flow - and the event will be headlined at 8pm by Texas' own For Now featuring another outstanding female vocalist, Isabel Crespo. Suggested minimum donation of $10 at the door (more is always welcome). This event is all ages. 4 p..m.-midnight Sunday, July 14, at Mod Gallery.

*From a press release: A series of jazz performances titled The Spine Showcases  is kicking off the second half of its 2019 series with a Kickstarter fundraising campaign. Organized by musicians, the series spotlights Kansas City’s emerging jazz composers.  The Spine Showcases launched January 24th, 2019… Performances are scheduled once a month on Thursday nights throughout 2019, beginning at 8:00 pm and concluding by 10:30 pm. The Spine Showcases are not ticketed; cash donations are accepted at the door… Producer and creator Kelley Gant states that “Kansas City is undoubtedly a jazz town. Our current jazz venues are a great place for musicians and audiences, but new and developing music is often too daring and loud or intricate and delicate to work in those rooms. Our series, The Spine Showcases,  is different. The emphasis is on the performance, and our audience comes to engage. We’re trying to build a missing rung on the ladder of opportunity in Kansas City. Where do musicians go to perform when their material is too adventurous to play in a corner of a restaurant, but it’s not polished enough to book at the GEM? Series like The Spine Showcases can fill that gap.”

(Original image of a Jay McShann artifact in an exhibit at the Blue Room by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Pitch touts the career prospects of Kelley Gant.

*Sunday's concert by Chick Corea and Béla Fleck was reviewed by The Kansas City Star and KC Metropolis.

*Saxophonist Ryan Anselmi's new album Lookout Road contains a hybrid of jazz and Americana sounds.

*Pat Metheny recalls the influence Wes Montgomery had on his early work.

*Megan Birdsall is interviewed by The Pitch about her Americana project MBird.

*Jazz blogging is harder than it looks.

*Tweet o' the Week: Nicholas Segura- It didn't really hit until tonight, I'll miss you so so much my sister Dionne Jeroue

*From a press release: Nationally-syndicated jazz variety show the 12th Street Jump will return to the Broadway Jazz Club on Wednesday, April 16th from 7:30 pm to 9pm and will celebrate the music of double bassist and composer Charles Mingus with special guest Steve Lambert on saxophone.  

*From a press release: (T)he Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Band is ramping up fundraising efforts for its trip to the 2014 Havana International Jazz Festival later this year… The KCKCC Jazz Band was invited to perform at the 2014 Havana International Jazz Festival in Havana, Cuba last fall. The festival is Dec. 17 to 22…  Donations are currently being accepted to help the KCKCC Jazz Band with the approximately $60,000 of travel expenses...

*From Michael Shults: This Friday night from 7-11 at Louie's Wine Dive I'm playing a very special show with a great tenor saxophonist from Cincinnati named Oz Landesberg. Oz is, in my view, the top saxophone player in the Queen City and was one of my greatest inspirations during my two years there. Really looking forward to this one. We'll be joined by Seth Lee and TJ Martley. Wanted to encourage everyone to come out and check out Oz's fabulous playing and welcome him to KC for the weekend!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)