Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Klopus revealed the lineups of the 2016-17 seasons of the Folly Theater’s jazz series and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.

*Zack Albetta interviewed Ryan Lee for the Working Drummer podcast.  Lee is also featured in a 18-minute promotional video for a new album by the 15-year-old pianist A Bu.

*The Kansas City Star reports that The American, an upscale restaurant that regularly hires jazz musicians, will close at the end of the year.

*The Pitch recommends Bobby Watson’s return to the Blue Room.

*Hermon Mehari uploaded a video of an unaccompanied version of “Ask Me Now” to YouTube last month.

*David Martin considers the stakes in advance of this week’s vote on $27 million in additional funding for the Jazz District.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Eddie Moore- Happy 4th of July, my people still dont have independence but lets blow shit up in hopes for a change. Fireworks i mean.....

*From Chris Burnett: Today is my last official day working at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City. I started working there as the Marketing Communications Manager in 2011 after a phone call from Greg Carroll, the previous CEO… I am going to take some time to reorient my focus in the arts.

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

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner, the new CEO of the American Jazz Museum, was interviewed by The Pitch.

*Live at Pilgrim Chapel, the new album by David Basse and Joe Cartwright, was reviewed by KCUR.

*Dominique Sanders was interviewed by Fountain City Frequency.

*Zach Albetta chatted with John Kizilarmut in a podcast for Working Drummer.

*The Kansas City Star and The Pitch highlight Ambrose Akinmusire’s return to Kansas City.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Amanda Graor- @KCCauldron I want to capo and do the occasional tap dance solo on the bar ala Lonnie McFadden thx

*Comment o’ the Week: Mike Metheny- Thank you, Mike Warren, for taking the time to review my sonic experiments, confounding as they admittedly are. Your words were thoughtful and honest, and that works for me. (Note: “Twelve” is the number of albums produced since 1982, as opposed to ten tracks on the CD. That's what I get for being too cryptic…)

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Lovano, Terrel Stafford and Deborah Brown are the headliners of the 2014 edition of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.  A press release and schedule are below.

*Stephanie Bryan has died.  The trombonist was best known in Kansas City's jazz community for her association with The People's Liberation Big Band and The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.

*In his survey of the area's jazz venues, KC Jazz Lark reports that the Jazz Winterlude festival won't take place next year.

*Zach Albetta wrote a profile of drummer Doug Auwarter for Online Drummer.

*L.A. Weekly recounts Charlie Parker's role in "the wildest party in L.A. history."

*The Pitch recommends an Angela Hagenbach gig.

*The Kansas City Star reviewed François Rabbath's performance at Park University.

*Chris Burnett ponders technology.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Dallas-based musician Stockton Helbing for his Neon Jazz podcast.

*Tweet o' the Week: Mayor Sly James- The great #DavidBasse at the #BroadwayJazzClub! About to start #12thStJump. #kansascitu (the Mayor's photo set)

*From a publicist: Pianist/vocalist Candace Evans will be making her debut performance for the new Happy Hour at The Broadway Jazz Club, 3601 Broadway, on Friday’s July 18, August 15 and August 29.  All performances are from 4:30pm to 6:30 pm.

*From a press release: Internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist and KC resident Deborah Brown, with Downbeat magazine’s Tenor Saxophonist of the Year Joe Lovano, and trumpeter Terell Stafford, headline the 2014 Prairie Village Jazz Festival.  Also headlining the event is Kansas City native and internationally recognized jazz singer Kevin Mahogany, who will perform accompanied by the Joe Cartwright Trio prior to Brown.  The 2014 Prairie Village Jazz Festival is presented by the City of Prairie Village.  This year there will be a $5 admission charge for adults (children under 18 years old are admitted free). The event has seen extraordinary support from Prairie Village and from fans throughout Kansas City. In order to not only help insure the festival’s continuation, but to grow the event in years to come, the festival institutes this small charge for a day and night of jazz… Beer, wine, food and souvenirs will be available for sale.

2:00 – 2:10 p.m. Welcome by the Mayor
2:10 – 2:40 p.m. Shawnee Mission East Blue Knights directed by Kim Harrison
3:00 – 3:50 p.m. Project H
4:10 – 5:00 p.m. Shay Estes with Rod Fleeman and Matt Otto
5:20 – 6:10 p.m. The Jazz Disciples with Jason Goudeau and Stephanie Moore
6:30 – 7:20 p.m. Bram Wijnands Swingtet
7:40 – 8:40 p.m. Kevin Mahogany with the Joe Cartwright Trio
9:00 – 10:30 p.m. Deborah Brown with Joe Lovano and Terell Stafford (with Richard Johnson, piano, Tyrone Clark, bass, Leon Anderson, drums)

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: HoraceScope at Jardine's

Joyous and bluesy, the compositions of Connecticut-born Horace Silver have a great deal in common with the soulful swing associated with Kansas City jazz. So it makes perfect sense that several of Kansas City's elite jazz musicians regularly perform Silver's songs under the auspices of HoraceScope.

The group includes trumpeter Stan Kessler, saxophonist Dave Chael, pianist Paul Smith, bassist James Albright and drummer Zack Albetta. (The ensemble lacks a dedicated site, so I'm not entirely certain.) Saxophonist Matt Otto sat in with the band when I caught the group last week at Jardine's.

Silver classics including "Peace" and "The Cape Verdean Blues" were respectfully rendered. But there was a problem.

I had hoped that Jardine's new modest cover charge policy would dissuade idle chatter while musicians were on stage. I was wrong. Many of the 35 people in attendance simply couldn't stop talking.

The cacophony sounded exactly like this. Kessler's solo in the video is lovely. I imagine it would have been even better had he been able to hear himself think.

I would have loved to hear HoraceScope take on "Senor Blues," my favorite Silver song. After thirty minutes, however, both my cash and my patience were depleted.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Moment

Mark Lowrey's set at the Pitch Music Showcase was going well Thursday. He opened with a convincing round of acid jazz, highlighted by vocalist Shay Estes' creative reading of "How Deep Is the Ocean."

Then it happened- the single most encouraging moment of 2009 on Kansas City's jazz scene.

Sephiroth, a guy I only recognized as a regular attendee of hip hop shows and as a sometime employee of area clubs, grabbed a microphone. He freestyled at length- he even joked that he might be setting a Guinness record- as drummer Zach Albetta, percussionist Miguel "Mambo" DeLeon and Lowrey reacted to the twists and turns of Sephiroth's flow. The linked video captures only a portion of Sephiroth's quick-witted effort.

In terms of both conception and execution, it's nothing short of brilliant. This sort of forward-thinking collaboration is precisely what I have in mind when I lobby for new developments capable of keeping jazz fresh and relevant.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)