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.

Myra Taylor: Our Greatest Treasure

Myra Taylor is perhaps our greatest living musical treasure. Few performers have the 90-year-old fireball's charisma and spontaneous sense of fun. She tells a cute story about her time with Harlan Leonard in this charming video. It's downright hysterical. Unfortunately, the uncouth audience captured here is not an anomaly in Kansas City.