Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*UNESCO Creative City KC honored Marcus Lewis with the 2020 American Music International Innovator Award.  The organization cites Lewis’ “leadership and creativity in musical composition, as a creative director for the Marcus Lewis Big Band and for his original compositions fusing the big band jazz tradition of Kansas City with the latest and greatest hip hop from Kemet and Kadesh Flow with Brass and Boujee.”

*A television news reporter previews today’s city council deliberations about the allocation of $7,000,000 additional dollars to the Jazz District.  Tony Botello objects to the prospect of additional government funding for “a doomed district wherein gunfire echoes through the streets far more loudly than jazz.”

*Todd Strait drums on pianist Randy Porter’s new album Porter Plays Frishberg.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Mayor Q- I am deeply disappointed that a festive day ended again in tragedy in my home district at 18th & Vine. Long after establishments had closed, gunfire rang out. We'll pursue every option available to ensure residents and businesses in the area can be safe. (link)

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KCUR reports on the results of the American Jazz Museum’s Charlie Parker Song Contest.

*The Brandon Goldberg Trio featuring Logan Richardson will perform at the Folly Theater on September 26 as part of the 2020-21 season of The Harriman-Jewell Series.  A concert by Larry Carlton is among the jazz-related offerings in the 2020-21 season of the Carlsen Center Presents series at Johnson County Community College.

*Bobby Watson spoke to Joe Dimino about his retirement plans.

*The Marcus Lewis Band Band documented another virtual performance.

*Tweet o’ the Week: KC Jazz Alive- KC Jazz ALIVE has compiled a list of relief funding sources and other resources available to artists during COVID-19. Click the link to view!

*From a press release: As saxophonist/composer Bobby Watson embarks on a new chapter in his storied career, his latest album arrives as a reminder of the authenticity that has characterized his music on every step of that journey. Keepin’ It Real, due out June 26 via Smoke Sessions Records, debuts a new incarnation of his renowned band Horizon… Watson now finds himself in a position to dedicate more of it than ever to his own music. After 20 years as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and decades more as an educator at institutions like Manhattan School of Music, the New School, and William Paterson University, Watson retired from academia this year. That newfound freedom instigated the launch of a new version of Horizon featuring a cast of rising stars and one lifelong collaborator… Rechristened New Horizon, the current band includes trumpeters Josh Evans or Giveton Gelin, pianist Victor Gould, drummer Victor Jones and bassist Curtis Lundy, whose relationship with Watson dates back to their college days at the University of Miami.

*From a press release: Mike Dillon has announced his new album 'Rosewood' will be released July 17 via Royal Potato Family. Recorded intermittently between January 2018 and September 2019, its 13 majestic tracks were created solely with vibraphone and percussion instruments… It was written and recorded during a period where Dillon was in the midst of leaving a long term relationship, followed by the beginning of a new relationship that would result in marriage. Dillon also found himself relocating from his longtime home-base, New Orleans to his current residence, Kansas City. "I fell in love with my dear friend, Peregrine Honig, in the midst of break up turmoil. I started spending time in Kansas City in August 2017, a city where I'd previously lived and had first met Peregrine in 1997," explains Dillon.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Purnaprajna Bangere spoke to The Kansas City Star about the Purna Loka Ensemble.

*The Marcus Lewis Big Band performed a quarantined rendition of “Facing East.”

*Tweet o’ the Week: KOJH 104.7- James D. Conqueror - Black Bouquet Ft. Ernest Melton (Radio Edit)

(Original music by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The author of this site is once again manning The Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

*The Kansas City Star recommends Deborah Brown’s two Dexter Gordon-inspired concerts this weekend.  Maxine Gordon promoted the events on KCUR’s Up to Date.

*Michael Mackie crafted a profile of Candace Evans.

*Jeff Harshbarger informed Joe Dimino about the Purna Loka Ensemble.

*E.J. Becker narrates an audio feature about the American Jazz Museum’s children’s program.

*The American Jazz Museum’s Rashida Phillips appeared on Marcus Lewis’ Ask a Jazz Dude show.

*David Epstein of Tom’s Town Distilling Company laments the shortage of “balls-out, wild-ass jazz” performed in Kansas City clubs in an episode of the I Love This Town podcast.

*The Brandon Goldberg Trio will perform at the Folly Theater on September 26 in the 2020-21 season of the Harriman-Jewell Series.

*Newly uploaded footage of Brian Hanni’s introduction of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at a 2018 concert at the Lied Center isn’t cringey at all.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Green Lady Lounge- Kansas City jazz radio (ok David Basse @JazzBasse it's not actually radio) streaming online 24/7 --Green Lady Radio.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Rashida Phillips is the new Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum.  A press release is excerpted below.

*The impetus behind Musicians Appreciation Day is addressed by Gerald Dunn in Luke Martin’s feature for KCUR.

*A performance by Marcus Lewis’ Brass & Boujee is among The Kansas City Star’s lastest concert recommendations.

*Pat Metheny received a honorary degree from the University of Missouri on December 14. (Video stream.)

*Smoke Jazz Club created a promotional video for the recently released Bird at 100 album featuring Bobby Watson.

*Kent Rausch chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Steve Kraske shared a holiday song by Karrin Allyson on KCUR’s Up To Date.

*Harold O’Neal announced the release of his next album.

*Tweet o’ the Week: American Jazz Museum- This Wednesday at 7:00 pm Kansas City Jazz Academy student combos are showcasing their talents on the Gem Theater stage. Check out the link below for more info!

*From a press release: The American Jazz Museum Board of Directors has named Rashida Phillips as the Museum’s executive director, beginning January, 2020. Phillips, an active performer and jazz vocalist, will be leaving her post as senior director, community ventures at the Old Town School of Folk Music, in Chicago, Ill., where she oversees the school’s community-based education programs.  Phillips was born and raised in St. Louis. Her previous experience includes director of education and youth initiatives at the Chicago Humanities Festival, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, the Merit School of Music, and the Chicago Children’s Museum. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a Master’s in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University…. Ralph Caro, who has served in the interim executive director position since March 2019, will assist Phillips with the transition.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The creator of Plastic Sax appeared on Marcus Lewis’ Ask a Jazz Dude show.

*June’s Jazz Club opened at the location of the former Uptown Arts Bar.

*Matt Hopper was interviewed on the Trading Fours podcast.  This sketchy link is apparently the only way to listen.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Beth Tofurky- The constant use of "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas into commercials during @Chiefs broadcasts proves that 1. People still don't know Kansas City is in Missouri 2. The @NFL needs to research the history of jazz. #nfl #Chiefs #18thandvine

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Ask a Jazz Blogger

I’m not entirely sure what’s on the agenda for my appearance on the 58th episode of the Ask a Jazz Dude show.  (12:10 p.m. CST Monday, November 4).  Left to my own devices, I’ll repeat my claim that strictly in artistic terms, jazz is thriving.  The miniscule size of the audience for the music doesn’t diminish its magnificence.

The ambiguity that accompanies obscurity makes defining terms essential when discussing jazz in 2019.  Jazz enthusiasts often unwittingly talk past one another because they have entirely different conceptions of the term.  Perhaps because I’m deeply engaged with all types of music, the jazz I’m most passionate about tends to reflect the tenor of the times.

The following list of my 25 favorite jazz albums released in October is intended to clarify my enthusiasm while demonstrating the abundance of the dynamic improvised music being made today.  Ordered by my personal preference, most of these vital sounds are shunned by pitifully conservative jazz radio programmers and are rarely performed on stages in Kansas City. 

Not only are none of these innovative albums by Kansas City musicians, not a single jazz-based album of any stripe was released by a locally based artist in October.  I hope to address this deficiency on the Ask a Jazz Dude session.

1. Kris Davis- Diatom Ribbons (Oct. 4)
The elevation of Cecil Taylor’s unit structures.

2. Robert Glasper- Fuck Yo Feelings (Oct. 3)
You don’t think this is jazz?  You know what to do with your feelings.

3. Jamie Branch- Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise (Oct. 11)
Jazz musicians with punk attitudes are inestimable.

4. Matana Roberts- Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis (Oct. 18)
Conceptual art-jazz.

5. Roberto Fonseca- Yesun (Oct. 18)
Simultaneously slick and earthy.

6. Bill Frisell- Harmony (Oct. 4)
Pastoral folk-jazz.

7. Mary Halvorson and John Dieterich- A Tangle of Stars (Oct. 25)
Exhilarating guitar skronk.

8. Joshua Redman with Brooklyn Rider- Sun On Sand (Oct. 4)
Third stream thrills.

9. Noah Preminger- Zigsaw: Music of Steve Lampert (Oct. 4)
A bonkers electro-jazz odyssey.

10. Petter Eldh- Koma Saxo (Oct. 4)
European free jazz given a dub treatment.

11. Portico Quartet- Memory Stream (Oct. 4)
Electrifying ambient jazz.

12. Kit Downes- Dreamlife of Debris (Oct. 25)
Contemplative church organ jazz.

13. Esbjörn Svensson Trio- Live in Gothenburg (Oct. 25)
A previously unreleased 2001 concert by the ill-fated group.

14. The Bad Plus- Activate Infinity (Oct. 25)
The trio’s second album with pianist Orrin Evans.

15. Chris Lightcap- SuperBigMouth (Oct. 4)
A double quartet with prog-rock inclinations.

16. GoGo Penguin- Ocean In A Drop (Oct. 4)
Acoustic techno-jazz.

17. Nicholas Payton- Relaxin’ with Nick (Oct. 25)
A (relatively) straight-ahead live set.

18. Tamika Reid Quartet- Old New (Oct. 4)
Bristling ingenuity.

19. Rez Abbasi- A Throw of Dice (Oct. 18)
Beyond time, place and form.

20. Yazz Ahmed- Polyhymnia (Oct. 11)
A British big band tackles unconventional arrangements.

21. Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain and Chris Potter- Good Hope (Oct. 11)
Seamless assimilation.

22. Jan Garbarek and Hilliard Ensemble- Remember Me, My Dear (Oct. 18)
Quintessential ECM Records.

23. Marquis Hill-  Love Tape (Oct. 11)
A smoldering concept album.

24. Gebhard Ullmann- Mikropuls (Oct. 18)
The German free jazz saxophonist performed at the Blue Room in April.

25. Made to Break- F4 Fake (Oct. 18)
An urgent missive from Ken Vandermark.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*That’s My Jazz, a short documentary in which “Milt Abel II, a world-renowned pastry chef, reflects on his relationship with his deceased father Milton Abel Sr., famed Kansas City jazz musician,” will be screened at a film festival in New York City next month.

*The Pitch reports that John Scott, the man behind the jazz venues Green Lady Lounge and Black Dolphin, has assumed control of operations at the midtown space formerly occupied by Uptown Arts Bar.

*KC Studio published a profile of Marcus Lewis.

*Alex Abramovitz chatted with Joe Dimino.

*The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is returning to the Midland theatre to play a Christmas-themed concert on December 5.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Tony’s Kansas City- The Uptown Arts Bar Was Always Sketchy But Recently Denizens Of The Establishment Had Failed To Inspire Creativity And Now More Sober Management Hopes For A Turnaround. More Backhanded Hints About Why This Biz FAILED As Broadway Corridor Struggles

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Top Jazz-Related Stories and Trends of 2018

1. Exhibit Closed
As the saying has it, this is why we can’t have nice things.  Ongoing disarray at the American Jazz Museum has substantially reduced the quality of life for dedicated music enthusiasts in Kansas City.  Not only does the institution no longer present an annual outdoor festival or book touring artists at the Gem Theater, the current programming at the museum’s nightclub is comparatively unimaginative.

2. Cracks In the Foundation
The legal travails and infighting at the Mutual Musicians Foundation acts as an ominous cloud over the entire Jazz District.  Pass the Tylenol.

3. No News is Bad News
Jazz coverage in Kansas City suffered several big hits in 2018.
Joe Klopus’ longstanding weekly Jazz Town column for The Kansas City Star was discontinued.  Metropolis, a publication subsidized by arts organizations, went belly-up.  The dedicated Kansas City jazz historian Larry Kopitnik stepped down as editor of Jam magazine.  The content and publication schedule of the periodical has suffered accordingly.  Plastic Sax is the sole local outlet offering regularly updated commentary and analysis of Kansas City’s jazz scene.

4. The Elephant In the Room
The most pressing issue on Kansas City’s jazz scene is the unabated erosion of support among the general public.  A cover charge of more than $10 attached to a jazz gig by an instrumental, improvisation-based Kansas City jazz ensemble not named the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is the equivalent of cement shoes in a mob hit.

5. Wide Open Spaces
A de facto jazz festival took place in Kansas City this year.  Almost no one showed up.  The city-sponsored Open Spaces festival boasted an extensive jazz component.  Yet less than 25 people were present at each of the several free performances I attended.  Along with the Roots and Janelle Monaé, the Vijay Iyer Sextet headlined the festival.  Less than 75 people paid the $20 cover charge to hear Iyer’s auspicious New York based band.

6. Fists of Fury
Kamasi Washington’s concert at the Truman provided an accounting of precisely how many people in Kansas City will pay to see a jazz show by a touring jazz instrumentalist who isn't appearing under the aegis of an established concert series.  Far and away the most popular and critically acclaimed jazz artist of the decade, Washington drew 500 people to the downtown concert venue.

7. If a Jazz Album Was Released in a Forest
Another year passed without any national recognition for a Kansas City artist other than Logan Richardson or Pat Metheny.  To the best of my knowledge, not a single album other than Richardson’s Blues People that’s listed on Plastic Sax’s Favorite Kansas City Albums of 2018 revceived notice in a prominent national publication.

8. Glimmers of Hope
It’s not all bad.  The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra performed a few dates in Europe with Deborah Brown.  The Green Lady Lounge, Kansas City’s most popular jazz club, continues to thrive with a winning formula of offering mainstream jazz without a cover charge.  KC Jazz Alive sponsored a residency by saxophonist Tivon Pennicott in a series of performances billed as the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.  The Marcus Lewis Big Band caught the attention of a few local pundits by bringing a pair of rappers into the fold.  “Bambu,” a funky track by Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7, racked up more than 200,000 streams on Spotify.  The bookings of touring artists at the 1900 Building, Black Dolphin and at various locations used by Take Five Productions partly filled the void created by the retreat of the American Jazz Museum.

9. An Unsung Loss
The death of Luqman Hamza, one of Kansas City’s most respected veteran jazz musicians, was virtually unnoticed.

10. It’s a Date
The Kansas City Jazz Calendar was resurrected in 2018.

(Original image of a jazz performance at the Open Spaces festival by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The  David Basse Trio and Amber Underwood were featured on KCUR’s Up To Date program.

*Jay Sollenberger and Sam Wisman were interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*Bonobo Bonobo, Mike Dillon’s latest album, will be released on Friday.

*Saturday’s holiday concert by the Marcus Lewis Big Band is previewed by The Kansas City Star.

*A press release provides details about Feelin’ Good, an album by a vocal ensemble at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Union Station KC- Less than two weeks remain to NYE and tickets are selling at a record pace for New Year's Swingin' Eve at historic Union Station! It's another certain sellout so secure your tickets now and guarantee your place at the hottest NYE party in KC

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Plastic Sax’s Favorite Albums and Performances of 2018

Favorite Albums By Kansas City Artists
1. Logan Richardson- Blues People (Plastic Sax review)
2. Peter Schlamb- Electric Tinks (Plastic Sax review)
3. The Project H- Everyday, Forever (Plastic Sax review)
4. Ernest Melton- The Time of the Slave Is Over (Plastic Sax review)
5. Stephen Martin- Vision (Plastic Sax review)
6. Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7- The Basement Beat (Plastic Sax review)
7. Lonnie McFadden- Live at Green Lady Lounge (Plastic Sax review)
8. Stan Kessler- Skywatcher (KCUR feature)
9. OJT- New Originals for the Green Lady (Plastic Sax review)
10. Marcus Lewis Big Band- Brass and Boujee(Plastic Sax review)


Favorite Albums By Artists From Elsewhere
1. Dave Holland- Uncharted Territory
2. Ambrose Akinmusire- Origami Harvest
3. Cécile McLorin Salvant- The Window
4. Vincent Peirani- Night Walker
5. Brad Mehldau- After Bach
6. Sons of Kemet- Your Queen Is a Reptile
7. Nicole Mitchell- Maroon Cloud
8. Andrew Cyrille- Lebroba
9. Matthew Shipp- Zero
10. Kamasi Washington- Heaven and Earth


Favorite Performances By Kansas City Artists
1. The Project H- Westport Coffee House
2. Hermon Mehari Quintet- Gem Theater
3. Lonnie McFadden- Black Dolphin
4. Mezzo String- Polsky Theatre (Plastic Sax review)
5. Will Matthews Quintet- Swope Park pavillion (Plastic Sax review)
6. Marcus Lewis Big Band- RecordBar
7. Vine Street Rumble- Californos
8. We the People- RecordBar
9. Charles Williams Trio- First Baptist Church (Plastic Sax review)
10. Ernest Melton, DeAndre Manning and Brad Williams- Blue Room


Favorite Performances By Artists From Elsewhere
1. Erykah Badu- Sprint Center (Plastic Sax review)
2. Vijay Iyer Sextet- Gem Theater (Plastic Sax review)
3. Ryan Keberle & Catharsis- Black Dolphin (Plastic Sax review)
4. Anat Cohen Tentet- Gem Theater (Plastic Sax review)
5. Uriel Herman Quartet- Black Dolphin (Plastic Sax review)
6. Ehud Ettun and Henrique Eisenmann- 1900 Building (Plastic Sax review)
7. Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston - 1900 Building (Plastic Sax review)
8. Cyrille Aimée- Folly Theater (Plastic Sax review)
9. L.A. Swing Barons- Californos (Plastic Sax review)
10. Kamasi Washington- The Truman (Plastic Sax review)

Plastic Sax conducted similar exercises in 2017, 2016 (albums and performances), 2015, 2014 (albums and performances), 2013 (albums and performances), 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(Original image of Eddie Moore, Chalis O’Neal and James Ward by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Logan Richardson’s Blues People is selected as the third best jazz album of 2018 by The New York Times’ Giovanni Russonello.

*Violinist Regina Carter is nominated for a Grammy Award for a solo on Karrin Allyson’s new album.  The Count Basie Orchestra’s All About That Basie is nominated for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.  The complete list of nominations is here.

*Molly Hammer appeared on a television morning show.

*David Basse hails the Jazz Studies program at UMKC for the institution’s student newspaper.

*A press release touts Anita Dixon’s efforts as a cultural heritage strategist.

*The Marcus Lewis Big Band, the Project H and Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 are among the best music of 2018 selections made by the staff of radio station 90.9 The Bridge.

*Chris Burnett lists his favorite albums of 2018.

*Marc Myers takes note of World Gardens, the latest album by the Italian pianist Roberto Magris that features Dominique Sanders, Brian Steever and Pablo Sanhueza.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Lee Rice Epstein- Yesterday, I was going to make an ironic joke about how outré a Count Basie album would be in 2018, and today I saw the Grammy noms, so that's a wrap, folks.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Gently Up the Stream

Let’s play a jazz version of the “would you rather” parlor game. 
Would you rather receive a cumulative 250 spins a week on non-commercial radio stations throughout the country or rack up 10,000 plays a week in the global marketplace with a single song on Spotify?

The former option involves mailing compact discs to dozens of radio stations and (ideally) hiring a publicist to persuade DJs to play it.  The latter gambit requires lobbying a well-placed connection at the music streaming service or simply relying on fortuitous serendipity to obtain placement on popular playlists.

The efforts documented on social media by many locally based musicians suggest that they covet placement on the JazzWeek terrestrial radio chart.  Karrin Allyson, an artist who launched her career in Kansas City, currently holds the #2 spot on the chart with 238 weekly plays of selections from her Some of That Sunshine album at 53 outlets.

“Fake it Till I Make It,” a track from the Kansas City based Marcus Lewis Big Band’s new album Brass & Boujee, achieved a different form of success.  Since being added to Spotify’s State of Jazz playlist a couple weeks ago, it’s been played more than 50,000 times. 

As much as I like working in the terrestrial radio format, I believe that focusing on placement at streaming services is a savvier strategy for most area jazz artists, at least until a song or album gains traction.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: The Marcus Lewis Big Band- Brass and Boujee

The most bracing passage of Brass and Boujee, the new album by the Marcus Lewis Big Band, comes in the final moments of the consequential project.  Kemet the Phantom raps that throughout his “whole damn life seems like I been lied to, f-ck the American dream, I’m gonna fight you” on “Ghetto Heaven.”

The incendiary lyric blows the lid off an album that’s otherwise kept at a medium simmer.  Brass and Boujee is a poised dispatch from the intersection of jazz and hip-hop.  Lewis, a Kansas City based trombonist best known for his association with Janelle Monaé, has marshalled many of the region’s top jazz artists into his big band.  His urbane charts leave plenty of room for the wildly disparate rappers Kemet the Phantom and Kadesh Flow.

The latter artist employs an emphatic style so urgent that he sometimes seems as if he’s choking.  Unfortunately, he’s assigned the quixotic task of delivering Kendrick Lamar’s lines on an interpretation of “Alright,” a track that should have been left off the album.  His outburst at the end of the album aside, the nimble Kemet the Phantom applies a lighter touch. 

In spite of the album title’s allusion to Migos’ 2016 hit “Bad and Boujee,” the band’s sound is more closely aligned with ‘70s-era R&B and the pop styles of the ‘80s than with contemporary hip-hop.  A cover of Bruno Mars’ retro-themed hit “24k Magic” reflects its orientation.  Kadesh Flow boasts that “I’m dominating rap battles because of my vocabulary” on the appealingly vulnerable “Boxes.”  In much the same way, the refined audacity of Lewis’ ensemble allows it to surpass many of its peers.

(Original image of the Marcus Lewis Big Band at RecordBar by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*An event billed as A Yardbird Homecoming is slated for Friday, August 3.  A complete collection of the Dial Records catalog amassed by DeBorah "Dee" Williams will be displayed in the atrium of the American Jazz Museum.  Williams, Jayne McShann and Jermaine Reed will speak.  Jason Goudeau’s Little Big Band will perform.

*The Marcus Lewis Big Band created a music video for “All Day”.

*Stephen Martin was interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*The editorial board of The Kansas City Star questions why “Kansas City is striding boldly back into the concert game” after the financial debacle that followed last year’s Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival.

*Details about next month’s Charlie Parker Celebration continue to be added to the event’s site.

*Tim Whitmer & the KC Express, the Wild Women of Kansas City, B.M.W. and J Love provide the jazz component of the ninth annual Phoenix Fest at The Phoenix on Saturday, July 28.

*The Kansas City Star reports that the Wheatley-Provident hospital building in the Jazz District is slated for renovation.

*The 2018 edition of New York’s annual Charlie Parker Festival includes performances by Charles Tolliver, Gary Bartz, the Bad Plus and Catherine Russell.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Terra Brister- “Yes the community is safe, it’s the people that come into the community that are not safe!” -Jazz Museum, Kansas City

*From a press release: KC Area Youth Jazz is pleased to announce the addition of Media Relations Expert and Kansas City area Radio and Television Personality, Joel Nichols as an official Spokesperson, Concert Emcee, and Media Consultant.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: The Marcus Lewis Big Band at RecordBar

I’m still marveling at a few of the solos played during the first set of the Marcus Lewis Big Band’s appearance at RecordBar on Sunday, June 3.  A good-natured saxophone battle between Mike Herrera and Stephen Martin was thrilling.  Clint Ashlock unleashed a trumpet solo that was as murderous as anything I’ve heard him play as the artistic director and conductor of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.  Additional prominent musicians including drummer Ryan Lee, keyboardist Eddie Moore and trombonist Jason Goudeau made similarly memorable statements.

It was a shame that less than two dozen people paid the $5 cover to hear the 18-piece big band.  A more robust audience would have undoubtedly propelled the ensemble to even greater heights.  I didn’t stick around to hear rapper Kemet the Phantom join the group in the second set, but the band’s new single “Fake It Til I Make It” gives me a good idea of what I missed. 

As he mentioned the forthcoming Brass & Boujee album, Lewis suggested that “it’s the first time ever that I know of that an 18-piece big band has played with two rappers fronting it… we’re combining jazz and hip-hop.”  While the first set didn’t feature any rapping, the big band’s stylish sound was entirely up to date.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Sam Zeff of KCUR reports on the latest twists and turns at the American Jazz Museum.

*The Kansas City Star’s Bill Turque assessed the City Council’s manuevering pertaining to the American Jazz Museum.

*A PBS panel discusses the American Jazz Museum at the 18:30 mark of the latest episode of Ruckus.

*The editorial board of The Kansas City Star infers that the ongoing turmoil surrounding the American Jazz Museum is a “distraction” that threatens to divert attention for citizen’s immediate needs.

*Michael Shults suggests that a “growing faction of ‘pretenders’ who wear fedoras and other ‘jazz hats’, make great looking gig flyers, and essentially act like a caricature of a JAZZ CAT on stage are gaining influence as well as an undue portion of the available gigs
in a provocative blog post.

*Joe Klopus surveys the week in jazz for The Kansas City Star.

*Deborah Brown and Joe Dimino chatted about the upcoming “Building Cultural Bridges Through Jazz” concert at the Gem Theater.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Kemet the Phantom- Pre-order my new single Fake It Till I Make It (feat. Kemet the Phantom & Hermon Mehari) by Marcus Lewis Big Band. Super honored to be a part of what I feel like will change the course of history.

*Comment o’ the Week: BGO- Thanks for linking the vintage interview with Jay McShann. I loved that man.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: The Marcus Lewis Big Band

Kansas City is home to at least five big bands.  Only the expansive ensemble led by trombonist Marcus Lewis incorporates hip-hop elements into its mix.  Lewis’ group performs at Westport Coffee House on Thursday, May 17.  The Kansas City Jazz Calendar, a comprehensive guide to the area’s scene, lists dozens of additional gigs in the second half of May.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Marcus Lewis is a recipient of a 2018 Generative Performing Artist Award from the Charlotte Street Foundation.

*Bill Frisell, Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston will perform at the 1900 Building on April 8.  Tickets are available here.

*Share Valleau objects to the tone of an editorial about the Jazz District published by The Kansas City Star.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Pat Metheny News- A new Japanese book called 'Listen to Pat Metheny 1974->2017' will come out 03/07/2018 (thnksM)

*From a press release: The American Jazz Museum, in partnership with Kansas City Public Library and The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, announces its first ever Jazz Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon, which takes place on Monday, March 5, from 3:00 to 7:00 pm in the Atrium of the American Jazz Museum. The goal of this event is to create and edit articles which preserve Kansas City jazz history, from local musicians, to historic jazz clubs in the 18th & Vine and the 12th & Vine districts, to the community leaders whose legacies continue to live on.

*From a press release: Steve Cardenas' “Charlie and Paul” kicks off Newvelle Records' Third Season. The recording is a deeply personal statement about his long standing band mates Charlie Haden and Paul Motian… Newvelle Records releases music exclusively on vinyl and in six record box sets. Members subscribe to a season and receive one record every two months over the course of a year.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*John Scott of the Green Lady Lounge and Deborah Brown, Chuck Haddix and Bobby Watson were guests on KCUR’s Up to Date on Monday and Tuesday.

*Clint Ashlock discussed an upcoming concert by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra on KCUR’s Central Standard.

*Bram Wijnands chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Giovanni Russonello of The New York Times praised an outing by the Logan Richardson Quartet.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Ryan Hennessey- My favorite Jazz has some funk in the sound. Good segment. I was at the Green Lady on Saturday. Always a good time. Anxious to try the Black Dolphin.

*From a press release: ‘Ask a Jazz Dude’, a live talk show/vlog presented by KKFI 90.1 FM and Marcus Lewis, where Marcus and selected guests answer questions about music, performing, the music business, social media, and pop culture, will take viewers on the bandstand and backstage into the mind of working musicians and creators.  The Facebook Live format gives viewers an easy way to interact with Marcus and his guests and ask questions in real time.  ‘Ask a Jazz Dude’ kicked off February 5 and can be found at facebook.com/askajazzdude Mondays at noon. 

*From a press release: Jazz vocalist Kathleen Holeman and her band will perform on Sunday evening, February 11, 6:00 pm at Kansas City Jazz Vespers, held at the historic First Baptist Church of Kansas  City...  KC Jazz Vespers features 100 minutes of professional jazz in two acts… There is no entry charge though a free-will offering is taken. 

*From a press release: The American Jazz Museum is expanding its Kansas City Jazz Academy by launching a partnership with the Charlie Parker Memorial Foundation’s Kansas City Arts Outreach, an established music education program with mission similar to that of the Museum’s Jazz Academy...  The Kansas City Jazz Academy (KCJA), the museum’s most comprehensive music education program, completed its first year in May 2017. The program was successful in bringing 150 K-12 students together every Saturday for hands-on classes in Big Band, Combos, Improvisation, and more… Beginning in 2018, KCJA will be led by Mr. Clarence Smith

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)