Concert Review: Helen Gillet, Brian Haas and Jessica Lurie at the 1900 Building

I felt like an interloper intruding on a secret society of Kansas City’s intelligentsia at the 1900 Building last Tuesday.  Even though I paid the $25 (!) admission, I feared that I’d be asked to leave at any moment during the performance by cellist and vocalist Helen Gillet, pianist Brian Haas, saxophonist Jessica Lurie and guest artist Mark Southerland.  A mustard stain on my shirt and the 2 Chainz song that blared from my budget car as pulled into the parking lot made it clear that I wasn’t a member of the rarified salon of about 60.  Even so, I appreciated the adventurous musicians’ blend of free jazz, French chansons and folk.  The repertoire ranged from what may have been an interpretation of the Velvet Underground’s “The Black Angel’s Death Song” to the few minutes of serenity documented by Steve Paul.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Plastic Sax's Favorite Performances of 2016

Favorite Performances by Kansas City Artists
1. Marilyn Maye- Quality Hill Playhouse
2. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- Tank Room
3. Logan Richardson- Blue Room (Plastic Sax review)
4. Matt Otto Septet- Blue Room (Plastic Sax review)
5. Matt Villinger- Orion Room at the Green Lady Lounge
6. Karrin Allyson- Folly Theater
7. Gerald Spaits’ Sax & Violins- Westport CoffeeHouse (Plastic Sax review)
8. Jorge Arana Trio- Mills Record Company
9. Hermon Mehari Quartet- Polsky Theatre (Plastic Sax review)
10. Mark Southerland, Annie Ellicott, Jeff Harshbarger and John Kizilarmut- Californos

Favorite Performances by Artists From Elsewhere
1. Tortoise- Granada
2. Christian McBride Trio- Folly Theater
3. Pablo Ziegler’s Quartet for New Tango- Polsky Theatre (Plastic Sax review)
4. Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom- Blue Room
5. Roy Ayers- Blue Room
6. Candido- American Jazz Museum (Plastic Sax review)
7. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra- Midland theater
8. The Bad Plus with Joshua Redman- Gem Theater
9. Bill Frisell- Atkins Auditorium
10. Béla Fleck & the Flecktones- Muriel Kauffman Theatre

Plastic Sax conducted similar surveys in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Fabricating a Festival

The transmutation of Jazz in the Woods into SoJo Summerfest is a disheartening blow to the jazz community.  Details about the 2016 editions of the one-day events The Prairie Village Jazz Festival and The 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival are still under wraps.

Neglected jazz aficionados in Kansas City have been provided with plenty of reasons to eye the ambitious lineups of  large-scale, multi-day festivals in Chicago, Detroit and Iowa City.

Kansas Citians needn’t succumb to wanderlust.  With careful planning and a willingness to bar-hop, it’s possible to fashion makeshift jazz festivals.  That’s what I did on the opening night of Ink’s Middle of the Map Fest.   The four-day music portion of the festival has an indie-rock orientation, but I managed to catch three engaging left-of-center jazz sets on Wednesday.

The Jorge Arana Trio evoked the abrasive electric jazz associated with the late Sonny Sharrock at Mills Record Company.  The quartet of vocalist Annie Ellicott, the modified instrument master Mark Southerland, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer John Kizilarmut veered between conventional jazz standards and wild flights of fancy at Californos.  Backed by elite musicians including keyboardist Brad Cox and guitarist Beau Bledsoe, the former Kansas City resident Krystle Warren performed a compelling blend of folk, gospel and jazz at the same venue. 

Devotees of small jazz ensembles could make a full night of sampling the offerings at the cocktail lounges of restaurants including The American, Cafe Trio, Chaz and Sullivan’s.  People who prefer not to drive could partake of the miniature festival that transpires at Green Lady Lounge every weekend.

Still not satisfied?  The three-day festival in the jazz capital of Iowa City features performances by bands led by heavy hitters including Edmar Castaneda, Vijay Iyer, Allison Miller, Poncho Sanchez and Miguel Zenón.  I may see you there.

(Original image of Krystle Warren and Brad Cox by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Kansas City Star reports that the Mutual Musicians Foundation has received approval to proceed with plans to open a 100-watt radio station.  Anita Dixon was interviewed by a television station about the concept.  A blogger examines the viability of the plan.

*A profile of Gunnar Gidner, a saxophonist studying at UMKC and the winner of the 2015 Vandoren Emerging Jazz Artist Competition, was published by KCUR.

*KC Jazz Lark reports that Take Five Coffee + Bar was filled to capacity during a performance by the Boogaloo 7. 

*Sonny Gibson speaks about Charlie Parker in a television news report.

*Joe Klopus recommended Gerald Albright’s concert at the Gem Theater.

*The Pitch touted Mark Southerland's Mardi Ra show at Take Five Coffee + Bar.

*KCUR previewed Marcus Hampton’s gig at the Blue Room.

*“Jazz: Then and Now,” an exhibit at the American Jazz Museum, is promoted in a three-minute television segment.

*The Millennial Society, a new initiative of the American Jazz Museum, “aims to reach out to more millennials.”

*Rudresh Mahanthappa spoke to NPR about his new Charlie Parker-inspired album.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Trey Sanchez- @ExploreKC Comparing the green lady to the Broadway club. At the green lady I experienced a luxury called a "PARKING SPOT" #Jazz #parking

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: Friday, February 13, 8pm: Mardi Ra with Mark Southerland- ...Join us for Sun Ra meets Mardi Gras, hosted by Mark Southerland on saxophone and various wind-powered creations, with Clarke Wyatt on keyboards, Nick Howell, trumpet, Bill McKemy, bass and sousaphone, and Arnold Young on drums and cymbals. $10 cover.  Saturday, February 14, 8pm: Second-Line Valentine!- ....Drummer (and Take Five barista!) Brad Williams leads the second-line jam… $5 cover.  Sunday, February 8, 10am - 2pm: Sunday Jazz Brunch: Jeff Harshbarger- Master bassist Jeff Harshbarger has long been one of the city’s leading creative spirits... Andrew Ouellette on piano, Brian Steever on whisk broom. No cover.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Jazz Millions of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

To the best of my knowledge, I was the only commentator to proclaim Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's Race Riot Suite as the best album of 2011. I've never wavered from my admiration of the groundbreaking album. The band also remains committed to the project. Footage of a performance of Race Riot Suite's "The Burning" in Austria last month demonstrates its ongoing vitality. The embedded clip features impressive contributions from Kansas City's Jeff Harshbarger and Mark Southerland.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KCJazzLark suggests that the People's Liberation Big Band is squarely in the tradition of Count Basie's bands.

*Marilyn Maye received another rave review in The New York Times.

*Howard University presented Bobby Watson with the Benny Golson Jazz Master Award last week.

*The anniversary of Charlie Parker's death is acknowledged by Tony's Kansas City.  (Warning: don't read the accompanying comments.)

*KC Metropolis published a review of Mark Southerland's collaboration with New Ear.

*Mark Edeleman takes note of a few of the city's jazz offerings.

*The name is Collective.  Black House Collective.  In a related post, Chris Burnett documents his work with the ensemble.  Another participant offers a "post-mortem".

*Last week I reported that Dave Douglas was giving a master class as Kansas City Kansas Community College on April 8.  He will also perform that night at the Blue Room.

*Lisa Engelken, a Kansas native and regular visitor to Kansas City, is seeking funding for her forthcoming Little Warrior album.

*Tweet o' the Week: Clint Ashlock- Midwest Shuffle is my favorite record of all time. Bobby. Time Will Tell.

*From Rob Scheps: The Rob Scheps/ Jerry Dodgion Quintet. Spring Tour 2013.  Rob Scheps - tenor sax & soprano sax.  Jerry Dodgion - alto sax & soprano sax.  Roger Wilder - piano.  Bob " Dwight" Bowman - acoustic bass. Brian Steever - drums.  Scheps & Dodgion are from New York, and the rhythm section is from Kansas City.  (Area dates are listed at the end of this Plastic Sax post.)

*David Basse provides new details about the forthcoming Joe Sample appearance: 12th Street Jump, public radio’s weekly jazz, blues and comedy jam will record a live performance by Jazz Crusaders founder, Joe Sample, at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, March 26 at the White Recital Hall…  Presented in partnership with KCUR-FM 89.3 and recorded for broadcast on 12th STREET JUMP’s 42-station network, tickets for this special performance are $10 in advance, $15 at the door…

(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.)

Now's the Time: Brian Haas

Three members of the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey- band founder and keyboardist Brian Haas, saxophonist Mark Southerland and bassist Jeff Harshbarger- perform Saturday at Take Five Coffee + Bar and Sunday at the RecordBar.  I've been led to believe that drummer Brian Steever will play on Saturday and that multi-instrumentalist Mike Stover will contribute to Sunday's gig.  Plastic Sax interviewed Haas in 2009.  The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's Race Riot Suite was this site's top album in 2011.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

 *Angie Stone, Arturo Sandoval and Joe Louis Walker are the national headliners at the 2012 edition of the American Jazz Museum's Rhythm & Ribs Jazz & Blues Festival on October 13.

*Tim Finn reports that Mark Southerland is now an official member of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.  The band will perform the entirety of The Race Riot Suite, my favorite album of 2011, in its appearance at the RecordBar on Thursday, June 21.  Here's a five-camera video of a rendition of "Grandfather's Gun."

*The Pace Report offers a compelling 25-minute feature on Eldar.

*David Basse was a guest on KCUR's Up To Date last week.

*KCJazzLark reflects on the impact urban renewal programs have had on the Kansas City's jazz district.

*The American Jazz Museum has a new Tumblr account.

*Hermon Mehari is the subject of a new video "documentary."

*The People's Liberation Big Band will perform its celebrated score to Battleship Potemkin at the Lawrence Arts Center on June 30.

*Mark Edelman lists the week's jazz events.

*Recent upgrades at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem are lauded by the New York Times.

*Tweet o' the Week: WOLFrach3I- #JazzintheWoods there are sooo many people here right now #perfectweather Instagram

*Comment o' the Week: tjjazzpiano- Well, performer selection aside, let me share a positive experience about CWJF. One of my first experiences hearing live jazz was at the Corporate Woods Jazz Festival. I listened to Pete Eye play with his trio on the main stage in 1997. I was able to go right up to the stage afterwards and have him sign a copy of his CD. Just hearing him playing and talking about music played a huge role in my decision to become a serious musician.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Chuck Haddix talks about Kansas City's jazz history in an episode of PRX's America's Great Jazz Cities series. It's followed by a nice segment on Mary Lou Williams. (Link via Laura Spencer.)

*Joe Klopus offers an insightful profile of Dave Scott. The trumpeter performs at the Blue Room on Friday.

*Culled from Facebook: The December 4 gig at the RecordBar serves an album release party for The People's Liberation Big Band. The collective's new recording is titled The Nutcracker and the Mouse King."

*Mark Southerland is a characterized as "a legendary jazz saxophonist from Kansas City" in a preview of a Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey concert in Oklahoma.

*Muncharoo offers a discount to Karrin Allyson's forthcoming shows at Jardine's.

*Hunter Long wrote an amusing essay about composition.

*Here's an hour-long in-studio performance by Victor & Penny. (Via Greg Hack.)

*Michael Pagan provides a transcription of a piano solo on a track from his Three For the Ages album.

*Hermon Mehari provides a stream of a trumpet solo from a gig with KC Sound Collective.

*Is Dave Stephens "Kansas City's greatest living jazz man"? That's Tony Botello's take.

*In his review of a hip hop concert, a presumptuous fool suggests that Tech N9ne has supplanted Count Basie as the definitive sound of Kansas City in the minds of most contemporary music fans.

*If you're not already excited about Roy Ayer's concert in January, maybe this will help.

*Tweet o' the Week: paynic: My next record will be called "I'm White". I'll cover jazz standards but take the swing out of it. Wait, that's been done already... #mfcomn (Nicholas Payton isn't local, of course, but no Kansas Citians on the jazz scene posted anything half as amusing this week.)

(Original image of Tim Doherty 9 + 1 at Take Five Coffee + Bar by Plastic Sax.)

Album Reviews: Laura Chalk, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and River Cow Orchestra

Laura Chalk- All the Things You Are
I don't care for Laura Chalk's voice. Yet I've discovered I can appreciate her new album All the Things You Are if I think of it as a Danny Embrey project. The guitarist's low-key brilliance is consistently astonishing. The reassuring presence of Kansas City mainstream jazz stalwarts Paul Smith, Bob Bowman, Tim Cambron and Steve Hall also make the session worthwhile. Young saxophonist Matt Chalk, the son of the vocalist, appears on three tracks. Not everyone shares my particular bias. Read a very favorable review of All the Things You Are here.

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Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey- Race Riot Suite
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey was formed in Tulsa in 1994 and has issued over twenty albums. The band's extensive history makes the suggestion that Race Riot Suite is an important, career-defining album seem entirely daft. Yet the ambitious project will doubtless inspire lots of breathless hyperbole from advocates of the sprawling sound associated with Charles Mingus and Henry Threadgill when it's released on August 30.

The wildly entertaining suite was written and arranged by pedal steel player Chris Combs, but its most distinctive sonic characteristic is the all-star horn section of Peter Apfelbaum (baritone saxophone), Steven Bernstein (trumpet, slide trumpet), Jeff Coffin (tenor saxophone), Matt Leland (trombone) and Mark Southerland (tenor saxophone, homemade horns). A recent live performance of "Black Wall Street" encapsulates the project's sensibility. Kansas City-based bassist Jeff Harshbarger solos at the 9:10 mark.

Race Riot Suite isn't merely a serious contender for album-of-the-year. It's one of the most compelling jazz-based albums of the new millennium.

(Plastic Sax interviewed JFJO's Brian Haas in 2009.)

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River Cow Orchestra- Go Wake the Rooster
A quick inspection of ReverbNation's "Top Jazz Artists" chart for Kansas City reveals an anomaly. River Cow Orchestra is the number one act, a distinction it's held for a long time. River Cow Orchestra's ability to game the system doesn't faze me. The fact that it markets itself as a jazz act, however, is misleading.

Primarily an instrumental, improvisational-based band, River Cow Orchestra is more inspired by Ummagumma-era Pink Floyd than Charlie Parker. Even though its members have clearly studied the electric work of Miles Davis, River Cow Orchestra doesn't swing.

Its occasional melding of Santana and Lonnie Liston Smith along with its affinity for absurdism makes the new album Go Wake the Rooster ideal music for a hookah bar. Here's one of 537 videos the band has uploaded to YouTube.

I've never agreed with the sentiment behind "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." River Cow Orchestra is really good at what it does. But what it does isn't jazz.


(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Malachy Papers

A seemingly unlikely jazz-related double bill takes place Friday, August 12, at Davey's Uptown Rambler's Club. Alaturka, the exquisitely tasteful Turkish jazz ensemble led by thoughtful multi-instrumentalist Beau Bledsoe performs with Malachy Papers, an in-your-face ensemble that features Mike Dillon and Mark Southerland. Relatively conservative jazz fans are tossed a lifeline in the embedded video when a Monk composition kicks in at the 4:25 mark. "Misterioso" indeed.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Pat Metheny's new solo acoustic guitar album, What's It All About, will be released June 14. From the artist's site: "What's It All About" features classic tunes from songwriters like Paul Simon, Lennon & McCartney, Burt Bacharach, and Henry Mancini. Pat describes it like this: "I wanted to record some of the music that was on my radar before I ever wrote a note of my own, or in a few cases, even before I played an instrument.

*Tim Finn wrote a lengthy profile of drummer Brandon Draper.

*Mark Southerland is one of the curators of America Now and Here, Kansas City. A number of area jazz musicians are participating in the prestigious project. Alaturka, the People's Liberation Big Band and Bobby Watson are among the artists selected.

*Plastic Sax receives a shout-out as Hermon Mehari and Miles Bonny discuss Kansas City's jazz scene.

*Tales of jazz intrigue just keep on coming from KCJazzLark.

*A proposed restoration of the Boone Theater on 18th Street is questioned in an editorial in The Star.

*Tweet o' the Week: 12THSTREETPETE: Saturday was fantastic! Gotta thank Karrin Allyson for stopping by. We're live on 1st Saturdays for a few months, then back to weekly. L8r!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*"It amuses me that a group as cool as Diverse needed to go to Idaho to get more recognition in Kansas City." That's one of several provocative lines in an excellent post at the site of Black House Improvisors' Collective. They perform Friday at City Center Square.

*A New York Times travel feature about Kansas City calls the town "a former jazz mecca." The Mutual Musicians Foundation merits a mention.

*Flattering words and pictures of Shay Estes and Trio ALL are posted by KCJazzLark.

*Ink also featured Shay Estes.

*Mark Southerland does his thing on Frenchman Street in New Orleans on May 1.

*Two jazz artists are among the nine acts featured at June's Parkville Jazz, Blues & Fine Arts Festival.

*Here's a flier touting a May 21 benefit for the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*Mary Lou Wiliams is remembered by Tammy L. Kernodle.

*There's no Kansas City-specific content in Marc Myers' fascinating study of the savvy widows of jazz legends, but the piece merits careful examination by a handful of area women.

*Plastic Sax readers are advised to exercise caution while crossing the street in the Jazz District. I can't afford to lose any of my 17 readers.

*Hank Jones, the great pianist who collaborated with artists ranging from Charlie Parker to Marilyn Monroe, has died.

*From a press release from KCKCC: The Kansas City Jazz Summit is coming in 2011. To be held on the campus of Kansas City Kansas Community College April 28-30, the Summit will feature nightly performances by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and the Kansas City All-Stars, Count Basie jazz competition, adjudication by top jazz professionals and countless workshops... Jim Mair said invitations will be sent to high schools and colleges in the surrounding area of Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and Kansas as well as Mair’s native Manitoba and Saskatchewan Canada. “We want to make this a destination location festival attracting bands from all across the country,” said Mair. “We’re approaching it just like the Kansas Speedway, trying to reach the huge concentration of people living within 500 miles of Kansas City. With the economy the way it is, the days of high school groups going to New Orleans or Los Angeles to compete are gone. The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley has a festival but why drive to Colorado when they could drive half as far or less and come to Kansas City with all it has to offer for less than half the cost because hotels are more affordable here?”

(Original image of a panel session held the morning of April 29, 2010, at The Blue Room by Plastic Sax. From left to right: Greg Carroll, Steve Kraske, Alaadeen, Dan Morgenstern, Barrie Hall and Clark Terry.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Here's an excerpt from an email sent by the American Jazz Museum last week: This email is a call to action. Recently the Missouri Senate recommended zero funding for the Missouri Arts Council for FY2011. This is a distressing recommendation as the Missouri Arts Council provides significant funding to arts organizations throughout the state. About a quarter of the American Jazz Museum's philanthropic support comes through the Missouri Arts Council.

*Prior to Christian McBride's concert last Saturday, Doug Tatum announced that Sachal Vasandani and Dave Brubeck have been booked as part of the Folly's 2010-11 jazz series.

*Mark Southerland and Shay Estes received a quick critique.

*"I wanted to see an area thriving with people, shops and things to do," a blogger writes about a visit to the Jazz District, "(A)nd what I saw were a lot of businesses that didn’t make it, closed up storefronts, lifeless streets, and the façade of a neighborhood that just doesn’t exist anymore."

*Michael Pagan posted an enthusiastic review of Mike Metheny's 60.1 at iTunes.

*Milton Morris is evoked by KCJazzLark.

*The Kansas City Kansan recaps the recent "Jazz Cabaret" concert by Kansas City Kansas Community College students.

*Sue Vicory provides additional details about her May 6 film premiere at the Gem Theater.

*Tony Botello posted several jazz-related items during the last week. He catches up on the controversy at the Mutual Musicians Foundation. He opined on the name and venue change of KCUR's 12th Street Jump. He also checked in with Jazzbo and noted that a progressive rock band has taken up residency at Jardine's on Monday nights. Finally, the prolific blogger was on hand for Reach's live album recording with jazz/jam band Mouth at the Record Bar.

*The Star reviewed the Christian McBride concert at the Folly Theater. Here's fan footage from the upper balcony.

*Bobby Watson and Horizon will perform at the Detroit Jazz Fest this summer. The stellar lineup also includes Allen Toussaint, Branford Marsalis and the Maria Schneider Orchestra.

*"To hell with practicality; if it’s something sweet to watch, it’s worth the challenge of creating and executing." A reviewer in San Diego is astounded by Pat Metheny's Orchestrion.

*It looks as if he and Fanny have been at it since last August, but I just discovered Alaadeen's blog.

*Megan Birdsall provides a new installment of her tour vlog. I've made fun of her video blogging, but seriously, similar efforts should be part of every performing artist's weekly routine.

*In a typically excellent post, St. Louis Jazz Notes heralds the May 1 performance of the Count Basie Orchestra in his town.

*Matt Chalk and Tim Whitmer lead groups at a May 7 charitable benefit at the American Jazz Museum.

*A full press release detailing the weekend's activities at the American Jazz Museum concludes this post, but those aren't the only significant jazz events in town this week. Here are a few additional listings:

4/30 The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra perform the complete Kansas City Suite- Folly Theater
5/01 The People's Liberation Big Band perform their original score for Battleship Potemkin- Paul Mesner Puppet studio
5/02 Diverse- Watson Park in Lawrence
5/02 KC Jazz Masters benefit for KC Youth Jazz with Diverse, Stan Kessler, Jim Mair and more- Madrid Theater
5/05 Bob Kindred- Jardine's
5/06 The film premiere of Sue Vicory's Kansas City Jazz & Blues: Past, Present & Future- Gem Theater

Check the Kansas City Jazz Calendar for additional listings.

*Via the American Jazz Museum:

Event Schedule:

Thursday, April 29, 2010, Panel Session: “(Ellington’s 111th Birthday)

10:00 AM Panel Session:

“Inspirations of the Duke”

Panelists: NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern, Barrie Hall, Clark Terry and KC Legend Alaadeen.

Moderator: Steve Kraske, Kansas City Star Columnist & “Up to Date Host” on KCUR American Jazz Museum Blue Room

6:00 PM Duke Ellington Photo Exhibit and Film Exhibit Grand Opening Reception and unveiling of the Ellington bust, created by San Francisco artist, Howard Lazar.

American Jazz Museum, John Baker Collection Exhibit

7:00 Dan Morgenstern - “Celebrating Duke Ellington’s Legacy”.

American Jazz Museum, JBC Exhibit

Friday, April 30, 2010 Jammin’ at the Gem Day

10:00 AM Jazz Museum Tours for students w/ Dennis Winslett Glenn North.

American Jazz Museum – Permanent Exhibits

10:00 AM Jazz Storytelling featuring Lisa Henry & Brother John

American Jazz Museum Atrium

11:00 AM Instrumental Break-out Master Classes, featuring the following Ellington Clinicians:

Everette Freeman on Piano; Jeff Harshbarger on Bass; Brandon Draper on Drums; James Ward on Brass; Chris Burnet on Woodwinds.

1:00-2:15 PM Panel Session:

“The Genius of Duke Ellington: Goin’ to Graduate School – A Players Perspective”

Panelists: NEA Jazz Master Clark Terry, NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern, Barrie Hall, KC Legend Alaadeen.

Moderator: Greg Carroll, American Jazz Museum Chief Executive Officer

6:30 PM Ellington Pre-Concert Reception & Jazz Conversation w/ Dan Morgenstern &

Clark Terry. Gem Theater Large Conference Room.

8:00 PM Ellington Tribute Concert featuring Clark Terry, Barrie Hall, the Ellington All-Star Big Band, the American Jazz Museum Institute Student All-Stars. Clark Terry and Alaadeen will be presented with the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award.

(Original image of the Clayton Brothers by Plastic Sax.)

Urban Noise Camp

I've spent countless hours in The Record Bar but I've never seen or heard anything like this at the midtown venue. Mark Southerland's Urban Noise Camp is more art installation than music gig. Freaky, man, freaky.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The American Jazz Museum and the Gem Theater will be busy Friday and Saturday. Scheduled events include tours, student band performances, lectures, award ceremonies and the Art Blakey tribute concert. A recent Steve Penn column focused on Saturday's "Health & Financial Fitness Fair."

*Plastic Sax wasn't the only jazz-related recipient of a Pitch "Best of Kansas City" award. Dennis Winslett received a Best Museum Tour Guide nod for his work at the American Jazz Museum.

*Jardine's recently posted a bulletin announcing "The Society of Charter Members of the New Piano." Members are assisting with the purchase of a new instrument for the jazz club. A "New Piano Marathon" is scheduled for November 2. The existing piano is for sale. That's all well and good, but at the top of my wish list for Jardine's is the simple hope that the kitchen and bar staff not blast punk band Rise Against when musicians are on stage.

*Jazz musician Mark Southerland is also a visual artist. He's been selected by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to design a "Kansas Citian of the Year" award.

*An MP3 blogger offers a slice of funk by Mary Lou Williams. It's a revelation to me; I'd never heard this side of the pianist.

*A blogger reviewed a recent Bobby Watson concert in Canada.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Eldar is booked for a five-night run at Jardine's November 16-20. Shows will be at 6:00 and 8:30.

*Steve Paul offers a glass-half-full analyis of Kansas City's jazz scene.

*Present magazine provides live footage of Joe Cartwright, Joe Straws and David Basse.

*Ahmad Alaadeen and Mark Southerland are among the artists awarded grants by an arts organization.

*KCUR conducted a nice interview with Everette DeVan. It's downloadable.

*The New York Times investigates Jazz at Lincoln Center's management structure.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Klopus provides a great piece about New Jazz Order's weekly gig at Harling's. An accompanying video is very worthwhile.

*Miles Bonny is big in France. This interview is proof.

*Karrin Allyson is profiled here.

*I had a good time Sunday at the Pitch's annual music awards. Ida McBeth won in the "Soul/Blues" category. Mark Sutherland's Snuff Jazz took the best "Jazz" award, beating out presumptive favorite Megan Birdsall.

*Here's a video clip of Mark Pender performing last week at Kansas City's Bice Lounge. The footage was shot by Sue Vicory, subject of the previous Plastic Sax post. TV critic Aaron Barnhard chronicles the night.

*Lee Young, brother of Lester and sometime drummer for Count Basie and Charlie Parker, died July 31.

*Lee lives!

(Original image captured at KCI by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Ida McBeth will be performing at a benefit for Danny Cox this Friday, July 18, in Kansas City, Kansas. Read about it here.

*Present magazine provides what amounts to the definitive profile of Mark Southerland.

*KCUR interviews Megan Birdsall.

*The new parking lot in the Jazz District sounds swank.

*Change the word "Chicago" to "Kansas City" and substitute the word "blues" with "jazz" and this sad story about the decline in the quality and popularity of blues in Chicago will strike home.

*The Star offered an update on Clark Terry's condition.

*381 Days, an exhibit about the Montgomery bus boycott, begins a two month run at the American Jazz Museum on August 2.

*Rember Vinx? Here's an update on the former Kansas Citian.

(Plastic Sax has been traveling. Original image captured last week in Niwot, Colorado.)