Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The 2019-19 season of the Topeka Jazz Concert Series has been unveiled.  The roster of locally based and touring acts includes Stan Kessler and Katie Thiroux.

*CityScene KC reports that YJ’s Snack Bar, an establishment that’s long hosted weekly jazz performances, will soon reopen at 1746 Washington.

*The Count Basie Orchestra’s All About That Basie will be released on September 7.  The album includes guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Kurt Elling and Take 6.

*Tweet o’ the Week: 18VineKC- Join us this First Friday for “A Yardbird Homecoming” exhibit: A Yardbird Homecoming featuring the life of the little kid Charlie Parker, his hard times, his friends, his revolutionary jazz music and the exhibition of the complete Dial Record Collection (Jazz to Classical).

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated for August.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Why Jazz? YJ's

I don't really fit in at YJ's Snack Bar. It isn't my age; it's my attitude. I realize that this might come as a bit of a shock to Plastic Sax readers, but I'm kind of a high-strung control freak. That doesn't fly in the laidback Crossroads establishment.

Still, there's no better place for a Kansas City jazz fan to pass a Sunday night than at YJ's. I heard a set of sublime Charlie Byrd-inspired bossa nova on a recent Sunday evening.

It's my understanding that fine bassist Micah Herman leads the session every week, but he hasn't updated his gig listings recently. And I'd link to YJ's, but their MySpace account is down and they don't seem to have their own site.

Slackers.

(Photo by Plastic Sax.)