Reading the Book of Gaia

Few Kansas City jazz ensembles make me feel more conflicted than Book of Gaia.  Some elements of the talented vocal trio thrill me.  I find other aspects of the group irritating.  A new 17-minute video profile of Book of Gaia serves as a fine introduction to the musical backgrounds of Nedra Dixon, Angela Hagenbach and Pamela Baskin-Watson.

Now's the Time: Book of Gaia

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Book of Gaia, the ensemble fronted by Pamela Baskin-Watkins, Nedra Dixon and Angela Hagenbach, revives the neglected tradition of jazz showmanship associated with artists including Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.  The vocal trio performs at The Broadway Jazz Club on Friday, March 14.

Album Review: Bobby Watson- Check Cashing Day

Decades removed from a significant place in the cultural mainstream, an alarming proportion of jazz has grown appallingly obsequious.  It's remarkable, consequently, when a prominent jazz artist incorporates explicit social commentary into his or her music.

Check Cashing Day, the latest album by Bobby Watson, is certain to upset some listeners.  Watson's political stance, combined with his formidable artistic aptitude, make Check Cashing Day one of the most important jazz albums by a Kansas City-based artist in recent years.

The daring project contains spoken word segments by poet Glenn North that directly address the political undercurrent that's fueled much of Watson's work.  In his famous 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. suggested that "we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check."  North and Watson take the concept figuratively and literally.  "The bill is up to four trillion dollars now and man, it's way past due," North implores.  "What do I have to do to get my forty acres and a mule?"

Reparations, ongoing racial disparities and unfulfilled promises are recurring themes.  Yet on "Revival (Ovedia)," North implies that spiritual redemption can be found at a jazz club at 18th & Vine.  A person who overheard me listening to Check Cashing Day protested that North's contribution to the album is "corny."  Heard out of context, the spoken word segments might be off-putting.  Within the framework of the entire album, however, North's work is powerful.

Most of the instrumentals are the sort of memorable hard bop compositions that have become Watson's trademark.  The opening track "Sweet Dreams," for instance, exemplifies Watson's gift for melody and love of swing.   The core "I Have a Dream Project" band- trumpeter Hermon Mehari, pianist Richard Johnson, bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Eric Kennedy- sparkle throughout.  "Seekers of the Sun (Son)," a track featuring vocalist Pamela Baskin-Watkins, resembles a vintage Lonnie Liston Smith selection.  Horace Washington and Karita Carter also make valuable contributions. 

The momentous album may irritate a few of Watson's longtime fans, but the achingly beautiful and momentous Check Cashing Day is an essential addition to Watson's esteemed discography. 

(Original bleary image of Bobby Watson by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Bobby and Pamela Baskin-Watson are one of the "create couples" examined by KCUR.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

*KCJazzLark documents Saturday's concert at Megan Birdsall's performance space.

*Will Friedwald defends the location of this weekend's Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in his preview of the star-studded event.

*The Charlotte Street Foundation has posted the schedule for Black Lab: A New Music Festival.

*Dominique Sander's new single "Isoar" is recommended if you like the Pat Metheny Group, Bobby Watson and Jaco Pastorius.

*The Pitch highlights Saturday's performance by Chris Hazelton's Boogaloo 7 at the Kill Devil Club.

*An extended clip of Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle's recent performance at the Blue Room has been posted at Soundcloud.

*Matt Kane's Suit Up! was reviewed by Audiphile Audition.

*Incitare, a jazz fusion album by Volto!, was released two weeks ago.  The Kansas-born Danny Carey is the band's drummer.

*Tweet o' the Week: Steve Paul- Basie auto-bio co-writer: "@nytimesbooks: Albert Murray, Essayist Who Challenged the Conventional, Dies at 97 (link)

*Comment o' the Week: Lori Chandler- Saul, your assumptions are incorrect. I can assure you the musicians that play Take Five do not play for pastries. We have ALWAYS compensated our musicians; even when we first started, even when the crowds weren't there. Now they get 100% of door and still have a minimum guarantee to protect them against off nights. We consider the musicians that play Take Five as part of our family. If you have questions about it, perhaps ask one of them, or ask me directly.

*From Jim Mair: One of Kansas City Kansas Community College’s most successful vocalists will return to the KCKCC campus to kick off the 2013 “Jazz By The Lake” Series Thursday, Sept. 5.  Lisa Henry, one of the finest jazz vocalists in the world and former KCKCC student, will bring the Lisa Henry Quartet to the KCKCC Conference Center adjacent to the Campus Lake for a noon performance…  The 2013 Fall schedule (all performances from noon-1 p.m.): Sept. 5 – Lisa Henry Quartet.  Oct. 3 – Ron Scheps Quintet, a hard-swinging New York City Jazz quintet featuring Scheps on tenor sax and Jim O-Connor on trumpet.  Nov. 7 – Sneak Peak, “Bop in the Dotte” featuring Kansas City Jazz Artists from the traveling jazz portrait show by Dan White in cooperation with the KCK Public Library.  Dec. 5 – “Bop in the Dotte” featuring KC Jazz All-Stars from the traveling jazz portrait show by Dan White in cooperation with the KCK Public Library.

*From Take Five Coffee: Here's a weekend to get your mind blown. At Take Five Coffee + Bar we get to host some of the most exciting talent, young and old, that Kansas City's music scene contains. This weekend serves as a three-day showcase to prove the point.  Friday evening, get in early, then hold onto something solid because here in the intimate confines of our little coffee lounge, we'll have a force of nature called Parallax. Trumpet titan Stan Kessler lets his wild side out for this group, blowing original tunes as fierce as a thunderstorm on the open prairie. Seasoned veterans Roger Wilder on the Rhodes and Bill McKemy on bass and sousaphone counterbalance the young stunt drumming duo of Brian Steever and Ryan Lee.  Saturday evening, it's the Young Loins of Jazz. Maybe the name started with a typo, but this group certainly brings the visceral power to back it up. Micah Herman, a ferocious bassist who doesn't get heard often enough, leads a cluster of rising stars: Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Steve Lambert on winds and Brian Steever on drums.  Sunday evening, to wrap things up in a perfect way, two of the city's deepest players will present an intimate duet set. Bassist Bob Bowman and guitarist Danny Embrey have the chops and interplay that only come with decades of devoted artistry.  Friday and Saturday shows start at 8pm, Sunday starts at 7, each night the cover is $5.

*From a press release: Kansas City groups, The Project H and Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle will perform together on Saturday, August 24th starting at 7pm at the mBird Media event space (2936 Cherry) in a concert open to the public.  The concert is $5 to attend features two of the most popular jazz groups in the area. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and their own beverages.  The Project H will open up at 7pm and will showcase several new original compositions by trombonist, Ryan Heinlein. Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle will start at approximately 8:40pm and will feature original compositions by pianist, Eddie Moore.  The Project H consists of Ryan Heinlein (trombone), Clint Ashlock (trumpet), Brett Jackson (woodwinds), Jeff Stocks (guitar), Andrew Ouellette (keyboard), Dominique Sanders (bass) and Matt Leifer (drums). This group was nominated for "Best Jazz Ensemble" by The Pitch in 2012 and has shared the stage with groups such as: The Bad Plus, Snarky Puppy, Monophonics, Rebirth Brass Band and Big Sam's Funky Nation. Their second album, "Become Light", was named the second best local jazz release by the Plastic Sax blog.  Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle consists of Eddie Moore (piano), Dominique Sanders (bass), Matt Leifer (Drums) and Matt Hopper (guitar). Moore was recently nominated for "Best Jazz Soloist" by The Pitch. Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle are currently supporting their debut recording, "The Freedom of Expression."

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Meet Me at the Bridge Festival

I had a nice time at Saturday's Meet Me at the Bridge festival even though I quickly realized that very few of the approximately 250 people in attendance were there to hear performances by several of Kansas City's elite jazz musicians.  The free event was actually a community gathering that just happened to feature jazz. 

The commemoration of a new bridge on Troost Avenue immediately north of the UMKC campus served as a public forum for a host of politicians, community organizers, educators, environmental advocates and representatives of neighborhood associations.  Anyone not familiar with the cultural implications of Troost is encouraged to watch the trailer for  We Are Superman.  And yes, the filmmaker was on hand to pitch his documentary. 

So many speakers crossed the stage and so many clipboard-toting activists worked the modest crowd that I wondered if a friend and I weren't the only people present who weren't directly connected to the event.

I caught two acts in the two hours I spent at the bridge.  Pamela Baskin-Watson, Nedra Dixon and Angela Hagenbach are the members of the relatively new ensemble Book of Gaia.  The ambitious trio was backed by trombonist Karita Carter, pianist Eddie Moore, bassist Tyrone Clark and drummer Mike Warren.

"We are ladies on a mission," Dixon explained.  "We're striking out on a fearless path."

The trio combines the socially conscious themes also explored by Esperanza Spalding on her new Radio Music Society album with a classic sound inspired by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.  Book of Gaia's rarefied approach doesn't appeal to everyone, but it could go over extremely well in the right setting. 

I also heard the first set of a band co-led by David Basse and Bobby Watson.   The pair were joined by trumpeter Hermon Mehari, saxophonist Steve Lambert, trombonist Ben Sailor, pianist Joe Cartwright, bassist Ben Leifer, a percussionist I didn't recognize and Warren on drums.  Although he fired off a couple typically dazzling solos, Watson mostly relegated himself to section playing.  It's one of the few opportunities I've had to hear Watson in that context.  The band's repertoire included standards like "Smack Dab in the Middle" and "Moanin'." The latter selection can be heard in the background of a solid report from Fox 4 News.

Mildly disappointed that no one invited me to join the evening's cavalcade of speakers, I left before the band resumed.

(Original image of Book of Gaia by Plastic Sax.)