Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Zach Albetta interviewed Sam Wisman for his Working Drummer podcast.

*Bobby McFerrin and Pablo Ziegler and among the bookings in the 2018-19 season of Carlsen Center Presents at Johnson County Community College.

*The owner of a new jazz club in Omaha suggests that “(from) Kansas City all the way down to Tulsa, there's a Midwest run right now.”

*A few days after being lauded at Plastic Sax, Drew Williams’ Wing Walker Orchestra received an enthusiastic notice in The New York Times.

*The KU Jazz Festival is slated for Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Liam Hogan- woke up this morning & checked all the texts i sent out last night, realized i mixed up the name of green lady & black dolphin, & had been telling friends to meet me at “the black ladies lounge” all night

(Original image of a page from a Kansas City-themed puzzle book published in 2002 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.)

Concert Review: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at Helzberg Hall

A wondrous rendition of Carla Bley’s “Who Will Rescue You?” at Helzberg Hall on Friday was a pivotal step in the evolution of The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.  Bley’s 1990 composition can hardly be considered cutting-edge, but the inclusion of the subversive blues in the ensemble’s “Lady Be Good: Celebrating Women in Jazz” program signals the willingness of Clint Ashlock, the organization’s Artistic Director and Conductor, to advance the group’s repertoire.

Women were partly or wholly responsible for each of the evening’s selections.  The commendable theme led to a vibrant reading of Mary Lou Williams’ “Roll ‘Em,” Brad Gregory’s thrilling tenor saxophone solo on Melba Liston’s arrangement of “Let’s Get Down” and a rhapsodic flugelhorn feature by Ashlock on Maria Schneider’s chart for “My Ideal.”  No one near me in the least expensive $25.25 seats amid the audience of about 900 flinched at the concert’s edgiest moments.

Guest artist Jo Ann Daugherty contributed to several selections.  It’s not a slight to the orchestra to suggest that the pianist's absorbing playing on the original composition “Elsewhen” featuring only the pianist, bassist James Albright and drummer Sam Wisman was a highlight.  Given the program’s theme, it would be negligent to fail to note that every member of the orchestra is male.  The strength of the program reinforced the injustice of the discrepancy.

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra has had three distinct phases since its debut in 2003.  The big band began as a hard-charging swing ensemble in the tradition of the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of co-founder Jim Mair.  The sound of the group shifted when Kerry Strayer, an acolyte of Gerry Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer, succeeded Mair.  Friday’s impressive concert indicates that Ashlock is committed to fulfilling the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra’s mission statement of “celebrating the past (and) embracing the future.”

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: The James Isaac Quintet at Take Five Coffee + Bar

I visited an arty cafe in Copenhagen on Friday.  Or maybe it was a refined jazz club in London.  It seems almost inconceivable that the adventurous sounds I heard were performed at a shopping center in Leawood, Kansas. 

The first set of the debut performance of the James Isaac Quintet bridged the divide between the sounds heard in European concert halls and at the Village Vanguard.  A receptive audience of about three dozen attended the recital at Take Five Coffee + Bar.

They heard cerebral interpretations of two Wayne Shorter compositions, a nod to Miles Davis, a U2 cover and a reading of a piece by the French composer Gabriel Fauré. 

Saxophonist and clarinetist James Isaac was joined by vocalist Courtney Williams, pianist Brad Cox,  bassist Andrew Stinson and drummer Sam Wisman. 

Cox rarely performs as an accompanist in jazz-oriented settings.  His demure solos evoked the work of André Previn.  Williams often sang in the wordless style employed by the likes of Gretchen Parlato.  Isaac explained that the Fauré selection was among the pieces that reflected "the blending of jazz and classical we're trying to accomplish here." 

Mission accomplished.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: HoraceScope

Horace Silver died yesterday.  Two of the beloved musician's connections to Kansas City come immediately to mind.  The late trumpeter Carmell Jones, a native of Kansas City, Kansas, recorded with Silver on classic albums including Song For My Father.  In recent years, HoraceScope, a band led by Plastic Sax's 2013 Person of the Year Stan Kessler, has kept Silver's music alive in Kansas City.  HoraceScope performs a rendition of "The Outlaw" in the embedded clip.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Bob Barry, the man with the disruptively loud camera at events hosted by the American Jazz Museum, is  featured in The Kansas City Star.

*Boulevard Brewing will donate a portion of sales of its KC Pils brand to the American Jazz Museum.

*KC Jazz Lark takes another fascinating then-and-now look at the Jazz District.

*"All For a Song" is a musical about the late Myra Taylor.

*A jazz novice reports on the scene at Harling's during a performance by New Jazz Order.

*A writer for The Pitch highlights a forthcoming gig by the Rich Wheeler Quartet.

*Clint Ashlock is blogging.

*Tweet o' the Week: HappyInBag- Mark Lowrey, Bob Bowman and Sam Wisman are paying tribute to Mulgrew Miller at @TheMajesticKC . #kcjazz

*Comment o' the Week: KC Jazz Lark- Actually, I had several commentators and media sources in mind when writing the Kansrocksas comments. I was even thinking back to the 1980s, when a movie on jazz played for one night at The Bijou Theater, then in Westport Square. A then-music columnist for the KC Star wrote that few people showed up, proving nobody attends jazz events in Kansas City anymore (I'm paraphrasing). I wrote a letter to the editor, which The Star published, responding that maybe the sparse crowd proved nothing more than jazz fans don't see a lot of movies at The Bijou. Equating failed events to jazz is dead dates back a long time.

*From Jim Mair: The 12th annual week long Kansas City Jazz Camp held on the beautiful campus of Kansas City Kansas Community College wrapped up on Friday June 7 with a stellar final concert.  55 students, ages 11 to 71 from as far away as St. Louis along with a star studded faculty which included NPR Radio Host, Ludwig clinician and North Dakota Governor's Award winner percussionist Scott Prebys, Missouri Governor's Award winner and Kansas City Jazz icon Everette Devan, Kansas Governor's Award winner and Selmer saxophone clinician Doug Talley, three time Grammy nominee guitarist Rod Fleeman, and Kansas City's most versatile bassist, a master of all styles James Albright.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Revisiting The Majestic

"We heard you had some good steaks here," a jovial patron told a waiter as he and a large party were being seated Sunday at The Majestic. 

The restaurant's emphasis on fine dining is precisely why I hadn't patronized the downtown establishment in months.  Sadly, I'm not in the market for a dry-aged porterhouse.  Sunday's visit proved that I can (not) have my steak and eat it too.  With the closure of Jardine's at end of 2011, The Majestic moved up a notch in the hierarchy of Kansas City's jazz establishments.  Many would suggest that it trails only the Blue Room as the most important jazz venue in town.

Others have accurately observed that The Majestic's basement resembles a speakeasy.  The candlelit room's excellent sound is less frequently noted. It's a decent spot for jazz.  And should the tables fill up- as they almost did at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday- there are six stools at the bar for listeners who don't want to invest in dinner.

Sunday found three of Kansas City's smartest and most creative musicians- Mark Lowrey, Sam Wisman and Ben Leifer- playing top-flight renditions of jazz standards.  While all three bearded men regularly play in other contexts, each obviously relished the opportunity to perform with like-minded jazz-based musicians.  Although it took liberties with "Body and Soul," the trio played classic material by the likes of Bill Evans and Charles Mingus in relatively straightforward fashion.

The retrenchment of Kansas City's jazz venues saddens me.  Yet the prospect of spending a few summer evenings listening to jazz in the basement at 931 Broadway alleviates some of my sorrow.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Rich Wheeler Quartet at Take Five Coffee + Bar

Opportunities to hear live renditions of compositions by Sam Rivers and Larry Young are rare. Hearing them in a coffee shop about 25 miles southwest of Kansas City's historic jazz district is even more unlikely. Yet that's just what transpired Friday at Take Five Coffee + Bar in south Leawood.

A quartet led by saxophonist Rich Wheeler startled a capacity audience of three dozen at Take Five, an increasingly vital venue on the regional jazz scene. Respectful of tradition yet intent on exploring the outer fringes of jazz, Wheeler's quartet exhibits a sensibility similar to the recent work of influential British veteran Dave Holland.

Wheeler, perhaps best known for his associations with Alaturka and People's Liberation Big Band, plays with more warmth and with bluesier tones than most experimental saxophonists. Keyboardist T.J. Martley takes surprising tangents as he solos. In addition to playing solid bass, Bill McKemy contributed the excellent original piece "Homeland Security." Instead of Tony Williams and Elvin Jones (the original drummers on the Rivers and Young recordings), drummer Sam Wisman's playing evoked Jack DeJohnettte.

Take Five may be situated in a soul-sapping commercial development far from the center of the city, but between Wheeler's band and the delicious array of beverages served by its friendly staff, the venue was surely one of the hippest places in the region for a couple hours last Friday evening.

(Original image of Rich Wheeler and Bill McKemy by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Crosscurrents at Polsky Theatre

A musician I know suggests that the jazz audience is diminished because Americans have become undereducated and overstimulated. As he bemoans the dumbing down of our citizenry, I don't dare tell my friend that I like "Mr. Carter" as least as much as James Carter.

I may not entirely agree with the musician, but his assertion isn't without merit. In today's often unenlightened environment, no venture may be more quixotic than a collective dedicated to the music of Lennie Tristano. Defiantly counterintuitive, Crosscurrent is one of of Kansas City's most unlikely bands. A free October 19 concert at Polsky Theatre at Johnson Country Community College served as a reminder that Crosscurrent also one of the best groups in the region.

"I call it weird bop," bandleader Sam Wisman explained to an audience of about 150.

I call it cerebral music played to perfection.

Tracking Tristano's time signatures and deciphering a pair of Matt Otto's original compositions taxed my atrophied brain. Concentrating on a Crosscurrent performance is akin to winding one's way through a meditation maze. At the conclusion of Wednesday's labyrinth-like concert, I was almost too exhausted to check my cellphone to get the latest update on Kim Kardashian.

(Original image of T.J. Martley, Ben Leifer, Steve Lambert, Sam Wisman and Matt Otto by Plastic Sax.)

Against the Crosscurrent

Sam Wisman calls Crosscurrent a "nerdy little jazz band." I beg to differ.

I last raved about Crosscurrent in January. I suggested that they're "fiendishly good" and that they perform "music from a cocktail lounge that specializes in absinthe." And in his preface to a stunning photo essay of Crosscurrent, KCJazzLark called them "one of the best jazz groups in town." He's right.

I caught Crosscurrent last Wednesday at the Power & Light Grill. The establishment's enormous glass windows and concrete floor played cruel tricks on the band's sound. Their interpretation of Lennie Tristano material lost much of its nuance. The sound of saxophonist Matt Otto, one of Kansas City's most significant voices, almost resembled the processed style of David Sanborn. Weird.

Steve Lambert's reeds, T.J. Martley's keyboards, Zach Beeson's bass and Wisman's drums also echoed around the large room. There simply weren't enough bodies to absorb the sound. In the ninety minutes I spent at Power & Light Grill, the audience bottomed at 15 and peaked at 30.

Why were there so few people there? It was like a secret gig. Outside of Otto and Lambert's sites and the members' Facebook accounts, Crosscurrent is invisible on the internet. It's staggering that such brilliant musicians can't bring themselves to provide even a bare minimum of self-promotion. They're heard it from me before- I've addressed the matter privately and publicly with some of the guys. Their music- and Kansas City's jazz audience- deserves much better.

Crosscurrent plays Jardine's on September 24. You'll find the date listed on the Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

















(Original images of Crosscurrent at the Power & Light Grill by Plastic Sax.)

Listen

One of my favorite viral videos documents an experiment conducted by The Washington Post. They cajoled classical violinist Joshua Bell into posing as a busker at a subway station. Would anyone stop to listen? Here's the story.

That intriguing study came immediately to mind when I saw that four excellent Kansas City jazz musicians were scheduled to perform July 1 at Penguin Courtyard on The Plaza.

I was eager to see if unknowing passerby would linger at the courtyard to appreciate the work of four of the city's finest jazz musicians. Saxophonist Strayer led brilliant guitarist Rod Fleeman, acclaimed bassist Bob Bowman and relatively young drummer Sam Wisman through tasteful but vibrant mainstream jazz repertoire.

I caught about 45 minutes of one set and 15 minutes of another. About a dozen fans of one or more of the musicians were obviously on hand specifically for the event. I'd like to think that they saw the date listed on my Kansas City Jazz Calendar. It's more likely that they received an email reminder from bandleader Kerry Strayer. Or maybe they were friends and family of the band members.

The results of my completely unscientific study were discouraging. I didn't witness a single person in the popular shopping district stop to enjoy the music. Only about one in every five people noticeably slowed their stride. Women bearing shopping bags never looked up but a handful of men acknowledged the band's work with a nod or a smile.

Is this indifference a reflection on the popularity of jazz? No- Joshua Bell didn't fare any better.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

An Art Gallery, a Baptist Church and a Rock Club: Notes From Three Unlikely Jazz Performances

Some of the most intriguing jazz performances take place in the unlikeliest of places. The results, as the following notes indicate, range from heavenly to hellish.

The Sam Wisman Group- The Record Bar, January 10

One of the most encouraging trends of the past 18 months is the increased number of jazz bookings at The Record Bar. The intimate venue offers excellent sound and lighting.

The promotion of shows at the indie rock-oriented club is often the responsibility of the artists. That's where this gig got a little dicey. Even on the day of the show, the venue's site maintained that the People's Liberation Big Band was providing the evening's entertainment. Much to the dismay of many, including one of my colleagues, it wasn't the case. Thankfully, keyboardist T.J. Martley took the trouble to inform me via Facebook that he'd be playing in a group led by drummer Sam Wisman (pictured above). Saxophonist Matt Otto and bassist Seth Lee would also be on hand to pay tribute, Markley indicated, to Lennie Tristano.

They were fiendishly good. The attack on Tristano classics like "317 E. 32nd" and "Crosscurrents" ranged from prickly to lyrical. "Lennie's Pennies" resembled music from a cocktail lounge that specializes in absinthe. So stunning was the playing of Matt Otto that I'm seriously considering going Dean Benedetti on him.

Although the group specializes in difficult music that will never appeal to a massive audience, it was a shame that only about 30 people were on hand to hear their first outing. The majority of the meager crowd were other musicians and the band's family members.

It's no coincidence that links to Wisman and CrossCurrent, the unfortunate name for the ensemble, aren't provided here. They don't exist. As regular readers of Plastic Sax already know, that lack of basic promotional work infuriates me.

















The Black House Improvisors' Collective- Paragraph Gallery, January 15

While I'm deeply annoyed by Wisman's indifference to promotion, I almost lost my mind during a nightmarish outing by Black House Improvisors' Collective at a downtown art gallery. I continue to rave about their exciting debut last October and I had been eagerly anticipating their second gig. This version of the collective included ringers Chris Burnett and the aforementioned Otto (pictured below).

So how was it? Beats me. I couldn't hear a damn thing. The room was packed with hipsters (above). Their shenanigans completely drowned out the band. I'd hoped they'd leave for a space where a DJ was spinning The xx, but the oblivious bohemians stuck around.

Thankfully, the performance was recorded by someone who was able to filter out much of the noise. Download it here. The collective is also booked at The Record Bar on January 31.





















William Sanders- Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, January 19

The senior recital of UMKC jazz student and Diverse saxophonist William Sanders (below) was immensely rewarding. Sanders' playing ranged from the soul-jazz of Gene Ammons to the spirituality of John Coltrane. His sensual work on "B-Day Song" suggested that he forgot he was in a (acoustically perfect) church. Zachary Sanders (presumably William's brother) assisted on drums. Much to the consternation of the wonderfully expressive keyboardist Karren Schiele, Diverse's brash drummer Ryan Lee sat in on one song.

Sanders' presentation didn't end when the music stopped. He noted that it was no accident that the program included hymns like "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and "Jesus is All the World to Me." He offered stern testimony about his faith. While I don't share Sanders' perspective on salvation, I found his plea refreshing. And the music? Sanders' heartfelt performance might find a spot on my year-end top ten list.
















(Original images by Plastic Sax.)