Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Lucas Homer lists the Top 5 KC Jazz Acts.  His KC Jazz Connection program on KJHK is profiled by Lawrence.com.

*Megan Birdsall is admired by KCJazzLark.

*Several jazz musicians make cameo appearances in the video of Making Movies' "Hangover Blues".

*The program for Saturday's Rhythm & Ribs Jazz & Blues Festival is available as a download here.

*The University of Missouri Concert Jazz Band has released a new album.  (Via KC Stage Blog.)

*Esperanza Spalding's concert at Helzberg Hall was reviewed by The Kansas City Star.

*Kristin Shafel Omiccioli reviewed the recent concert by Gary Burton, Chick Corea and the Harlem String Quartet at the Gem Theater.

*Here's footage of former Kansas Citian Lee Ingalls crooning "Come Dance With Me."

*Tweet o' the Week: Kassie Sands- The lovely Esperanza Spalding and her big ol' bass.  Can't believe I'd never heard her music until today. Instagram.

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- "The first thing that impressed me... was the volume."  Yes, because that's exactly what jazz needs. Something to cover up the subtlety of our dynamics and phrasing. Nothing like having your whole career limited to how loud, fast and high you can play!

*Via Facebook: Performing at the Mutual Musician's Foundation in conjunction with their Youth Education Program to expose people of ages (15-28) of the relevance of Jazz music in our mainstream society and in their local community. Concert Series will Kickoff with: Shades of Jade!…Question and answer session during one of the set breaks…  This will be one of the highlights of Kansas City's Jazz Scene this year. Tickets are $5.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A free download of the Black House Improvisors' Collective's December 10 performance (image above) is available here.

*A new Interstring recording is noted by Joe Klopus.

*KCJazzLark endorses five albums by Kansas City jazz artists.

*Steve Penn provides a recap of the trip Bobby Watson and his UMKC students took to Japan.

*Robert Folsom reviewed Kenny G's concert at the Midland Theater.

*Tony's Kansas City shares Plastic Sax's enthusiasm for Mark Lowrey.

*Lee Ingalls, a long-time advocate of Kansas City's jazz scene, sang "Fly Me To the Moon" last week.

*A self-appointed know-it-all wants the Kauffman Center to book Keith Jarrett and instead of Willie Nelson.

*Lee Hill Kavanaugh wrote a warm remembrance of Steve Herold.

*Tweet o' the Week: americanjazzkc: Tix are still available for NYE at the Blue Room with Bobby Watson, Pam Watson, Pearl Thuston-Brown, Soul's Poem & Gate's BBQ! 816-474-6262

(Original image of the Black House Improvisors' December 10 performance by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Good news! A "Jazz Winterlude" will be held at Johnson County Community College in January. Artists participating in the three-day festival include the Luqman Hamza Trio, the New Red Onion Jazz Babies, Danny Embrey/Rod Fleeman, the Greg Carroll Quartet, the Rich Hill/Charles Perkins Quartet, 9 Plus 1, the James Ward Trio, the Doug Talley Quintet, Sherry Jones/Mike Ning, Sons of Brasil, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and the Dan DeLuca Trio. Tickets are available here. (Tip via a generous reader.)

*A stellar quartet featuring David Basse, Kim Park, Jerry Hahn and Bob Bowman play the R Bar four consecutive Thursdays starting October 15. The new venue is at 1617 Gennessee in the West Bottoms.

*Hearne Christopher makes an unflattering insinuation concerning David Basse. He also notes the passing of John Albertson.

*Joe Klopus' most recent column reminded me of Johnson County Community College's lunch hour jazz series. I've added the remaining dates to the Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

*Friend o' blog Lee Ingalls has unleashed the second New Low Down podcast. It features a new Sons of Brazil track as well as audio from the sorely missed Rhythm & Ribs festival. Download it here. Well done, Lee!

*Here's the week in jazz according to Mark Edelman.

*I was surprised but encouraged to spot one of Kansas City's brightest jazz musicians among the capacity crowd of 3,000 at last night's Wilco concert.

*Gary Sexton of AfterGroove informed me that Chris Botti and his band relaxed after their September 25 concert at the Midland by catching AfterGroove's set at the Drum Room. Botti's guitarist even sat in with the band.

*From Jeremy of Mouth: To promote our CD release party at Jardine's on October 10th, we're making available a three-song sample of our upcoming release. You can download it here.

*From Allen Myers: I have composed a suite which draws inspiration from the famous Coleman Hawkins recording of Body and Soul. The suite will be apart of the Northwinds Jazz Band concert to be held on October 11th at 3:00 p.m. The performance will take place at the outdoor amphitheater in Oak Grove Park in Gladstone, MO. (Tip via a Myers fan.)

*From a press release: The first session of the Black House Improvisors' Collective will conclude with a performance of new music as part of the Charlotte Street Foundation's Urban Culture Project third friday event... All music to be performed at the concluding performance has been newly composed by members of the collective. The participants are: Stan Kessler, Derek Worthington, Peter Lawless, Russell Thorpe, Hunter Long, Patrick Ketter, Brad Baumgardner, Blake Rayfield, Alex King and Sam Wisman. The free event takes place October 16 from 8-9:00pm in City Center Square at 1100 Main.

(This is the first non-original image I've posted at Plastic Sax since 2007. As everything about it fills me with mirth, I just couldn't resist sharing it. Image via J.P.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A most unusual jazz performance transpired last weekend at the Kansas City Irish Fest. Eric Rigler of Bad Haggis is a piper, alright, but his band offered a chagrined audience a blast of jazz fusion in the vein of Return to Forever and Weather Report.

*Andrew Zender composed a beautiful review of a new Hot Lips Page biography.

*Mazuka was profiled by Joe Klopus.

*Steve Penn visits with musicians about Charlie Parker's legacy.

*The New Low Down outs me in his superior analysis of this year's Charlie Parker memorial. Lee is too gracious to mention that Kansas City's jazz community suffered a terrible blow when he left town.

*How I Came To Love Jazz is the title of a new book by Kansas City poet Phyllis Becker.

*An unissued Charlie Parker recording is scheduled for release.

*Miles Bonny has four gigs in Germany and Austria over the next few days.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Farewell, Lee. Adieu, Jazz.

This broad-shouldered intellectual is Lee Ingalls. Public radio listeners are familiar with his mellifluous voice in his capacity as KCUR's morning anchor, reporter and jazz critic.

It's telling that I first met Ingalls at a UMKC jazz jam at Mike's Tavern. In addition to being an absurdly nice person, he's a knowledgeable and deeply passionate fan of jazz.

So it's with great sadness that I report that Ingalls is moving to Chicago at the end of this week.

Although I hope I'm wrong, Ingalls' departure represents the end of jazz on KCUR. Ingalls hosted the station's Just Jazz program after long-time personalities Ginny Coleman and Ruth Rhoden's retired. Since that show's demise, the station has broadcast Ingalls' profiles of local jazz events and artists. He has also made regular appearances on Steve Kraske's Up To Date to review recent jazz releases.

Can anyone at KCUR fill Ingalls' shoes?

While he's a leading jazz authority, Chuck Haddix's excellent weekend Fish Fry is dedicated to "blues, soul, rhythm & blues, jumpin' jive and zydeco." Back when KCUR featured jazz programming nightly, I recall that Haddix would end his shift with Bill Evans' "Peace Piece."

I admire reporter and producer Sylvia Maria Gross' off-the-chart smarts and engaging personality, but I hold her responsible for the recent controversy at the Mutual Musicians Foundation. As I learned when I mentioned it to her, Gross was oblivious of the unwritten rule among jazz fans and drinkers to never speak publicly of the Foundation's late-night liquor situation. Her broadcast led to the government crackdown.

I'm not demanding that KCUR drop its news or classical programming to focus on jazz. The internet and satellite radio have rendered conventional music broadcasting obsolete. I do feel, however, that KCUR has an obligation to regularly cover the local jazz scene. Just up the dial, KKFI offers some fine jazz programming, but the community station lacks both KCUR's reach and resources. Area jazz musicians desperately need and merit KCUR's support.

You're going to be missed, Lee.

(Original photo by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*She's big in France. Dee Dee Bridgewater, who goes all Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf in this video, will perform with a ten-piece band October 13 at the Gem Theater.

*Lee Ingalls interviews Eldar here. Lee also recorded a compelling conversation with Alaadeen about the saxophonist's new album.

*UMKC's student newspaper dared to highlight the school's jazz program. (Link via Tony's Kansas City)

*Joe Klopus' interview with Greg Abate is here.

*The American Jazz Museum's Dennis Winslett and Greg Carroll get a little ink for their efforts in jazz education here.

*Reminder: The City Light Orchestra reunites for a jazz brunch Sunday, October 14, at the Athenaeum.

*An advertisement for "Johnson County's Premier Jazz Event" recently began appearing in the Star. It states that Joe Cartwright and Roger Wilder will appear Sunday afternoon at the Overland Park Marriott. I've asked the contact person for further details and I'll provide an update when I receive a response.

Update- Russell Simmons, the event's organizer, responded to Plastic Sax with the following information about Sunday's 4 p.m. concert:
*Seating capacity is limited to 300. It's table seating in the hotel's ballroom.
*Smoking is not allowed. Two cash bars are available.
*Tickets are $20, and can be obtained at the Marriott or directly from Simmons (913/226-8401). Simmons recommends the latter option.
*"I see this as an opportunity to present the best KC jazz to Johnson County," Simmons said via email.  "I believe there is substantial interest in live jazz music in Jo Co.  However, people can't/won't always go downtown. We'll determine what we do regarding future events based upon the response we get to our offer."