Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Pam Hider Johnson promoted a series of Charlie Parker-related events on Kansas City's official YouTube channel.  (Via Tony’s Kansas City.)

*Joe Klopus notes the commencement of the annual Charlie Parker-related functions in his column for The Kansas City Star.  Larry Kopitnik highlights the annual observation for The Pitch.

*KANU won Jazz Week's Station of the Year award in the category of "stations with fewer than 40 hours" of weekly jazz programming.

*Kurt Elling will perform with the Branford Marsalis Quartet at Helzberg Hall on May, 11, 2017.

*Carol Duboc’s new album Open the Curtains was reviewed at All About Jazz.

*Tweet o’ the Week: McClain Johnson- Nels Cline was tearing up the solo in "Impossible Germany" last night. A full moon was glowing in the sky as the breeze was wafting through.

*Comment o’ the Week: Dean Minderman- I'm glad to see positive comments about David Sanborn, who's a fine musician and seems to be a genuinely decent person. But I've got to push back a bit against the notion that he's a deliberate knock-off of Maceo Parker.  Sanborn has said many times (including to me when I interviewed him a few years back) that his thing is heavily influenced by Hank Crawford and David "Fathead" Newman… (continued at link)

*From a press release: This year’s Kansas City’s Charlie Parker Celebration 2016 at the American Jazz Museum commemorates the 96th anniversary of the birth of legendary jazz great Charlie Parker with… a presentation by Dr. Ron McCurdy… who speaks on The Life and Legacy of Charlie Parker on Thursday, August 18, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the American Jazz Museum. A 6 p.m. public reception precedes the program. Admission is free.  Complementing McCurdy’s talk, will be the unveiling of a new temporary exhibit titled A Musician in the Making: Charlie Parker in Kansas City, 1920-42. The five-panel traveling display, created from the collections of the American Jazz Museum and other archives… McCurdy’s presentation also kicks off the Museum’s new speaker series, called Riffing on the Repertoire that will bring top jazz scholars and authors to the 18th & Vine Jazz District throughout the rest of 2016. The lineup features noted authority Ted Gioia… and… Rashida Briggs.

*From a publicist: Seattle area saxophone and flute master Mark Lewis will be in Kansas City to play at the Majestic with Bram Wijnands on Aug. 26 and 27.  Mark’s new CD The New York Session is ready for listening! We will have it with us on the tour, though it won’t be officially released and promoted until January… The CD features Mark on alto sax and flute, George Cables on piano, Victor Lewis on drums and Essiet Essiet on bass.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Mark Lowrey

Mark Lowrey has a way with pop, rock and folk material.  He interprets Leonard Cohen’s “One of Us Cannot Be Wrong” in the embedded video.  The pianist performs with a trio at Broadway Kansas City on Saturday, September 19 and at the Majestic on Thursday, September 24.

Now's the Time: Jason Jackson

Trombonist Jason Jackson is the featured guest on saxophonist Rob Scheps' latest barnstorming tour of the Kansas City area.  The New York based trombonist and the saxophonist will perform with different combinations of locally based musicians in the noontime Jazz by the Lake series at Kansas City Kansas Community College and at the Majestic on Thursday, April 2, and at Lucky Brewgrille on Friday, April 3. 

Now's the Time: Bram Wijnands

Here's something you don't see (or hear) every day.  Bram Wijnands cavorts on some sort of pipe organ in the embedded video.  Curiosity seekers might also enjoy watching Wijnands use a "home built piano tilter".  The Dutch transplant plays a conventional stationary piano at the Majestic on Friday and Saturday and at the Green Lady Lounge on Sunday.

Now's the Time: Mark Lowrey

Kansas Citians are blessed with recurring opportunities to chatter during dazzling performances by Mark Lowrey. Lowrey, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Matt Leifer interpret "Moanin'" at the Green Lady Lounge in the embedded video. Lowrey returns to the Green Lady Lounge on Friday, July 19. Lowrey performs a matinee show with Lonnie McFadden at the Phoenix every Friday. He appears at the Majestic every Sunday and Monday. Plastic Sax's 2010 Person of the Year released Tangos For 18th Street, one of 2013's most compelling albums, in January.

Now's the Time: Hal Melia

Former Kansas City resident Hal Melia has returned to his old stomping grounds for a series of gigs.  Melia joins Bram Wijnands at the Majestic on Friday, October 5, and Saturday, October 6.   On Sunday, October 7, Melia, Wijnands and Phil Wakefield perform at Take Five Coffee + Bar.   The saxophonist tears through "Flight of the Bumblebee" in the embedded clip.

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.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KCJazzLark responds to The Atlantic's "Jazz District Authenticity Problem" essay. Hunter Long shares his take. Here's Tony Botello's reaction to the previous Plastic Sax post about the matter: "And if you listen closely, the sound of Kansas City Jazz can still be heard as it evolves, melds and influences hip-hop, R&B and so many other forms of music that are often overlooked by the critics and librarians who keep a constant vigil for Charlie Parker's ghost."

*Project H commissioned an excellent EPK for its new Become Light album.

*Sylvia Maria Gross of KCUR's KC Currents profiles Mike Corrigan's BAC Horn Doctor.

*The establishment of an "International Jazz Hall of Fame" is being considered in Chicago.

*The Majestic has a- wait for it- jazz calendar!

*Black House Improvisors' Collective is having "Fun With Gongs".

*Here's an EPK for the "Diverse Plays Michael Jackson" concept.

*Benny Golson's first set at the Blue Room was reviewed by The Star.

*Bob McWilliams reviewed Dave Pietro's appearance at Kansas City Academy.

*Los Angeles-based Mike Melvoin, an occasional collaborator of David Basse, has died. Basse hosted a tribute to Melvoin a couple months ago. Sue Vicory documented the occasion.

*T.J. Martley takes on Herbie Hancock's solo on Wayne Shorter's "Orbits."

*Last weekend's highly anticipated take on the Charlie Parker with Strings concept, a collaboration between Miguel Zenon and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, was reviewed by Howard Reich.

*Phonologotronic wonders if his ensemble will ever play the Blue Room.

*The American Jazz Museum will host a free "opening reception" and "jazz concert" related to a new Ella Fitzgerald exhibit with "remarks by Mayor Sly James and CEO Greg Carroll" on Friday, March 2, at 6 p.m.

*Tweet o' the Week: ChrisPhelan- KC great Bobby Watson doing a favor. Front of The Gem, 18th & Vine photo at Instagram

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- A trap huh? If it was a trap it was to get you to actually make a statement as opposed to more non-commital, tepid musings that seem to be the bulk of your writing. This write up and your response serve as perfect examples.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A Canadian concert overseen by Jim Mair is favorably reviewed by the Winnipeg Free Press. The final item in today's Plastic Sax post contains startling breaking news regarding Mair.

*Dan Thomas' travel blog documenting the trip to Japan taken by Bobby Watson and his UMKC jazz students is magnificent.

*Sam Mellinger's column about the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's woes is terribly depressing. Mellinger suggests that the museum will likely end up moving to either Cooperstown or Kauffman Stadium. Jazz fans are forced to wonder how the adjacent American Jazz Museum would be affected.

*The Branford Marsalis Quartet's concert at the Gem Theater was reviewed by the Star.

*KCJazzLark posts a great entry about the Reno Club.

*Joe Lovano's new album is a tribute to Charlie Parker. The saxophonist will perform at the Folly on April 2.

*The Leavenworth Times provides details about the November 13 concert at the Hollywood Theater featuring Sons of Brasil and the Roger Wilder Quartet.

*Tony's Kansas City reports that Dave Stephens and Lonnie McFadden will entertain during the Plaza lighting ceremony.

*Mark Edelman returns with a fresh column.

*Tweet of the week: The Majestic: Tonight $1 Wells & a Jam Session featuring more than 10 of KC's best Jazz musicians 5:30-9:30PM! No cover-$3 / 3 Can donation to Harvesters

*From Jim Mair: Dear KCJO musicians, I wanted to let you know that after the Christmas concerts in December, Mary and I will be resigning from The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. It has been 8 years since we set out to make this project a reality and we feel like the organization needs some fresh ideas and new energy. I'm excited to announce that Kerry Strayer has been asked to serve as the new Artistic Director and Conductor... The Board of Directors is currently interviewing candidates for Executive Director... Although the economy has made obtaining funding over the past two years more difficult, the organization has remained financially sound with over $160,000 currently in the bank... It has been an honor for us to have worked with you, and for me especially to front an ensemble of your caliber and talent. Giving that up is tough, however we feel it is best for our family and best for the organization.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A water main recently broke at 18th & Vine. According to this account, neither the American Jazz Museum nor the Gem Theater were damaged. Additional reports are here and here.

*Excellent insights and images related to the new Friday night jam session downstairs at the Mutual Musicians Foundation are provided by KCJazzLark.

*Will Matthews, President of the Mutual Musicians Foundation, reports that "90% of the membership is delinquent in their dues."

*Here's the entire Jazz Session podcast interview with Steve Cardenas. The special Plastic Sax version is still available here.

*Here's another rave review of Alaturka's debut album. The band performs at the Turkish Days In New York festival September 16-17.

*Steve Penn shares his impressions of the most recent Charlie Parker memorial service.

*Ink provides pictures of a recent Lonnie McFadden set. (Log-in required.)

*Via Twitter: Starting Sept. 20 The Majestic will serve breakfast everyday @7AM including Sunday Jazz Brunch every Sunday. That sounds good, but what I really want is a listing of their September jazz bookings. The Majestic's online calendar hasn't been updated since last month.

*A local jazz festival has quietly disappeared. Grandview's annual Jazz Blast has been renamed Music On Main.

*The next week is particularly appealing for Kansas City jazz fans. In addition to the Prairie Village Jazz Festival (9/11), the Crossroads Music Festival (9/11) and the start of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra's new season (9/10), the following dates merit special notice:

*From Michael Pagan: Mike will pay tribute to jazz piano master Bill Evans, who passed away on September 15, 1980 by playing 3 hours of Bill Evans compositions and arrangements (at Cafe Trio on September 15). Additional details are at MySpace.

*Via Facebook: Pianist Josh Nelson and bassist Ryan McGillicuddy visit from Los Angeles to team up with saxophonist Matt Otto and drummer Zack Albetta for two nights of jazz at Jardine's. Thursday 9/9 will feature all original compositions by all four members and Friday 9/10 will feature all jazz standards with arrangements by all four members.)

*Mixed Method plays its final show of 2010 at Jardine's on Saturday.

*Winard Harper returns to The Blue Room on Saturday.

*Kerry Strayer leads a 17-piece band Sunday, September 12, at Jardine's.

*Don't forget about the Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Jazz Masters concerts at Crown Center featuring George Benson, David Sanborn, Manhattan Transfer and John Pizzarelli have been canceled. Billboards like the one pictured above apparently didn't create enough demand.

*The Mutual Musicians Foundation is hosting the "2010 Charlie Parker Festival and Memorial Tribute to Edward B. 'Eddie' Baker" on August 29.

*Bobby Watson's long-awaited The Gates BBQ Suite will be self-released on September 14, according to a press release.

*The Majestic finally has an online entertainment calendar. It's viewable as a PDF under the "special events" tab. (Tip via KCJazzLark.)

*The Dead Kenny G's played to one of the largest audiences any jazz band has enjoyed in Kansas City all year at The Uptown Theater on Tuesday. Here's a review. The band is at the Czar Bar tonight, August 11.

*Bob Brookmeyer is interviewed by a journalist in Rhode Island.

*Jazz fans will have tough decisions to make on September 11. In addition to the Prairie Village Jazz Festival and the Wynard Harper Sextet's gig at The Blue Room, it's the date of the 2010 edition of the Crossroads Music Fest. Diverse, Hearts of Darkness and Mark Lowrey are among the jazz-related artists scheduled to perform. Here's Wayward Blog's notice.

*Joe Johnson, the winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk Institute’s Composers’ Competition, is interviewed by Andrew Zender. Johnson attended Rockhurst High School.

*Analogue Sounds of Salina, Kansas, is one of the subjects of a New York Times article about jazz reissues on vinyl.

*Kansas City native Frank Wess is honored by Saint Peter's Church in New York City.

*The Star offers a remembrance of Ruth Rhoden.

*KKFI radio personality Barry Jackson has a blog titled Fusion Funk Radio.

*The Star featured the KC Strip trolley service.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Ten Most Important Jazz-Related Events and Stories of 2009

Matt Otto set me straight earlier this month. "I think jazz has never been so strong," the saxophonist asserted in an interview. "Not necessarily from an economic point of view, but due to the sheer number of jazz musicians on the planet that increases year after year." The contentious relationship between art and economics riddles this summary of the state of Kansas City jazz in 2009.

1. Jazzy Home Companion. The weekly 12 O'Clock Jump radio broadcast brought fresh energy to the Mutual Musicians Foundation. It's too soon to know if the program is going to get the syndication sought by its organizers, but even if it fails the experiment is a noble one. (The NPR-centric show was nicknamed by Jason Harper.)

2. No Rhythm. No Ribs. The cancelation of the 2009 edition of the Rhythm and Ribs Festival, Kansas City's premier jazz event, was demoralizing. Adding insult to injury, the festival's site has been hacked.

3. Diverse. The rise of Diverse gives Kansas City music fans an energetic young act to rally around. Musically, Diverse is excellent. But they also "get it." The band's DYI PR model proves that energy and enthusiasm can make good things happen.

4. The Majestic. The closing of The Majestic provided a great deal of hand-wringing. Its re-opening has been the source of cautious optimism. The sometime jazz joint doesn't yet have a dedicated new site, but they do engage customers on Twitter. Our fingers are crossed.

5. Fresh faces. Three notable musicians- Jerry Hahn, Matt Otto and Kim Park- either returned to Kansas City or moved here for the first time. And Dixieland fans must be delighted that Lynn Zimmer is now featured several nights a week at the Gaslight Grill.

6. Non-jazz creep. Venues ostensibly dedicated to jazz feature an increasing number of blues, soul, cabaret, folk and rock acts. Well over a quarter of the bookings at Kansas City's three primary jazz clubs don't play jazz. I'm hardly a jazz purist, but I just can't bring myself to list artists who resemble Tori Amos, James Taylor and Eric Clapton on The Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

7. New media. Some get it. Some are being left behind. Real-time Twitter dispatches from artists, clubs and music fans influence where I spend my dollars at least once a week. Meanwhile, savvy artists make their music accessible to fans. Last week, for instance, Chris Burnett gave fans a free MP3. Diverse boasts a national presence thanks less to radio than to podcasts. Not coincidentally, Burnett and Diverse also understand the power of video. Money is no longer an excuse- I saw an off-brand video camera advertised for $25 on Black Friday.

8. Quiet Saturday afternoons. One of my favorite Kansas City traditions ended this year. Saturday afternoon jazz jams are no more. Jardine's ceased hosting the event several months ago. It has yet to be replaced. And no, Mama Ray's blues-rock jam session at BB's Lawnside BBQ doesn't count.

9. Dwindling audience. I keep hearing about great turn-outs for jazz events, but the majority of high-profile jazz shows I attended at the Folly, the Blue Room and Jardine's were poorly attended. A lot of it is attributable to sad attrition. Vince Bilardo, for instance, was a fixture at almost every jazz event. He died in February. Jazz students aside, I have yet to see evidence of a young jazz audience to replace previous generations.

10. Jazz on film. Decades after it was acquired by the city, portions of The John Baker Film Collection are finally on permanent display at The American Jazz Museum.

I wrote similar lists at the conclusion of 2008 and 2007.

(Original image by Plastic Sax. What I wouldn't give to be a 17-year-old member of this pep band...)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Majestic Steakhouse has reopened! I'd love to celebrate this great news by integrating their jazz bookings into my Kansas City Jazz Calendar, but the downtown venue's entertainment schedule seems to be a secret.

*Did you know that the Count Basie Orchestra released a new album in August? I didn't either. Here's a new EPK for the project.

*What's wrong with these kids! The 5 Star Jazz Band is a group of teenagers who enjoy performing jazz. They're featured by the Star.

*Angela Hagenbach's new album receives favorable reviews from The Pitch and a blogger.

*UMKC's student newspaper shines its spotlight on the Marr Sound Archives.

*A man by the name of Derek recently left a lengthy and thoughtful comment on a 2007 Plastic Sax post. (The photos I used to illustrated my original point still make me laugh.) Here's one of his better lines about the challenge of post-bop jazz: "It's work trying to figure out why such rhythmic music is so eminently, intentionally undanceable."

*Shay Estes shares "A Case of the Mondays" with the Star.

*Steve Penn checks in with Darryl Terrell.

*Orchestrion, the freaky new Pat Metheny album, will be released on January 26.

*Mark Edelman makes his live jazz picks here.

*Sorely missed friend of the Kansas City jazz scene Lee Ingalls is currently living it up in Seattle. His hysterical (and flattering) review of a Sachal Vasandani show is at his blog.

*Eldar's latest album receives a mixed review at All About Jazz.

*Mike Hendricks's latest column analyzes a dust-up surrounding “We Haz Jazz,” "a salute to African-American culture by the mostly white third-, fourth- and fifth-graders at Timber Creek Elementary School in south Overland Park."

*Here's a video highlighting the Kansas City Plaza Rotary Club's 9th annual Jazz Cabaret. The April 2010 event will feature Tim Whitmer and the Wild Women of Kansas City.

*Sue Vicory shot a promotional video for Kansas City Youth Jazz. I've been informed that the organization "is looking for a high school jazz pianist to play in their top jazz band, The Reno Jazz Ensemble on Monday nights from 6 to 7:30 p.m." Interested parties should contact Leon Brady at leonbrady@kcyouthjazz.org.

*From Jim Mair, Associate Professor of Instrumental Music at Kansas City Kansas Community College: "Drummer Jeff Hamilton and bassist Christoph Luty will work with the KCKCC Jazz Band and Jazz Combo on Wednesday November 18 from 10:00am till noon in the band room at KCKCC. The Jeff Hamilton Trio presented clinics at KCKCC last time they were in Kansas City." The Kansas City Kansan published additional details here. The Kansan also notes the forthcoming fall jazz concert by KCKCC's jazz ensembles. The November 24 event will feature percussionist Scott Prebys. His talents are on display in this video.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Here's a bit of welcome news. According to an article in the Star, the Majestic is reopening under new ownership. Jazz, apparently, is still in the mix. "The Sebrees put a 1910 piano in the dining room for live jazz during happy hour. The basement jazz club will be open on Friday and Saturday nights."

*Kim Park has returned. "It is great to be back in Kansas City after spending two years in Nashville," Park writes. "There is a thriving jazz community here, and it is a pleasure to be back." He performs this Saturday afternoon at Jardine's.

*I learned of a major schedule change at the Blue Room through the KCJazzLark blog. The November 5 appearance by Pat Martino has been canceled. It's been replaced by an all-star bill of T.S. Monk, John Faddis and Bobby Watson.

*The Star's Tim Finn profiles The Hearts of Darkness.

*KCUR program KC Currents featured pianist Bram Wijnands.

*A song from Angela Hagenbach's new album is available for free download here.

*Here's the Star's review of Saturday's stunning Afinidad concert at The Folly Theater.

*Guitarist Will Matthews is recognized in Steve Penn's column.

*Mark Edelman's weekly jazz column runs here and here.

*From a CampKC guide to Kansas City nightlife: "My lover and I were urged to leave the Mutual Musicians Foundation for holding hands. Not fun. How we miss bar Natasha, where we could always pay the servers to camp it up and sing 'Defying Gravity' before closing."

*From Gary of AfterGroove: "This has been another good week for us receiving national airplay. For the 2nd week, we made to top 10 for "new adds" and "spincrease", according to Smoothjazz.com. We are also on www.citysoundsradio.com . We have a web radio interview scheduled in December with KCLIVE.com."

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Not So Majestic

Poor Bram Wijnands.

That was the first thing that came to mind when I read that the Majestic Steakhouse was, as the Star put it, gone for good. As is regularly noted at Plastic Sax, the outstanding entertainer is perhaps the single finest purveyor of Kansas City's classic jazz sound. The Majestic's basement, in my mind at least, was his room.

Beyond the misfortunes of Wijnands and other musicians, however, is an even more significant loss. The Majestic featured what most casual listeners and visitors from out of town have in mind when they think of "Kansas City jazz."

Here's an example. While attending Steve Coleman's performance at The Blue Room in April, a very nice couple asked me if the experimental musician intended to "play like that all night." What the pair wanted to hear instead was old-fashioned swing music. It was nice knowing that I could confidently direct them to The Majestic. The likes of The Scamps, Joe Cartwright, Julie Turner and Tommy Ruskin would be sure to please them.

The three primary jazz-oriented rooms remaining in Kansas City feature a much broader stylistic range than did The Majestic. The music offered at The Blue Room, Jardine's and The Phoenix isn't always a natural fit for tourists and convention-goers.

Visitors to New Orleans know they'll hear "When the Saints Go Marching In" in the French Quarter. "Sweet Home Chicago" is played nightly in many of the Windy City's blues bars. With The Majestic gone, a tourist in Kansas City is no longer guaranteed the opportunity to hear a jazz band performing a Count Basie number.

That hurts.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Pitch reports that Gi Gi's Jazz Inn, a jazz club on Troost, has opened. Aside from Jason Harper's story, the venue has no web presence.

*All About Jazz published an extensive interview with vocalist Deborah Brown.

*The Star reports that The Majestic is "temporarily closed." The downtown venue featured jazz nightly.

*Subtitled "A Father's account of his history of jazz in Kansas City," Then appears to be a personal jazz-oriented documentary. As Vimeo is buggy for me, I haven't been able to view much of it. (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

*The author of The Daily Record bemoans the fact that he can attend a free jazz festival featuring the likes of Dave Brubeck and Dr. John in Jacksonville but not in Kansas City.

*The excellent lineup for the 17th annual Charlie Parker festival has been announced. Alas, it's in New York City.

*Two prominent local scribes, Tony of Tony's Kansas City and John Mark Eberhart rave about Dave Stephens' recent appearance at Jardine's.

*The Star's piece on Alacartoona is a mandatory reading for all area musicians.

*The Star offers an in-depth story about the ongoing drama at KKFI.

*Our friend Lee brought this jazz radio news to our attention.

*Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon is playing The Blue Room on July 11. Stefon Harris returns to Kansas City in January.

*According to this this Pitch piece, The Blue Room attracts quite a crowd for its monthly poetry slams.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)