Now's the Time: Arrington de Dionyso and Thollem McDonas

Arrington de Dionsyo and Thollem McDonas will perform their "songs of psychic fire" at Grunauer's performance space on Thursday, May 24. It's unlikely the event will resemble the embedded video. This is probably more representative of what will transpire at Grunauer. Last year the pair issued a fascinating album that was "recorded to blue plastic plates using a Wilcox Gay record lathe from the 1940's." Ten Thousand Tigers is the duo's latest release. Snuff Jazz will also be on hand Thursday.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

The latest on Jardine's:

*Hearne Christopher confirms that Jardine's has reopened. He also wrote updates about the status of the jazz club here and here.

*Tony Botello continues to chronicle the saga here, here, here, here and here.

*A former Jardine's employee suggests that she was assaulted by her employer.

*Craig Glazer offers his two cents.

*A television news program covered a benefit for the "Jardine's 15." (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

*I'm unable to authoritatively verify troubling reports about the status of 1911 Main.

*From Doug Talley: This Friday, Dec. 16, 7:00-10:00pm, will be your last chance to hear Doug Talley and Rod Fleeman at Cafe Augusta which will be closing their doors at the end of the month. Join us for one final evening of good music and food!

*The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the new album by The People's Liberation Big Band, is available now. The ensemble appears with the Owen/Cox Dance Ensemble of the ballet's current run at the H&R Block City Stage Theater in Union Station.

*Myra Taylor is remembered by KCJazzLark.

*A residential renovation project in the Jazz District has commenced.

*The new blog of the American Jazz Museum features an interview with Danny Embrey.

*Danny Alexander reviews a post-Mavis Staples show by Snuff Jazz.

*Pat Metheny and Chick Corea share their appreciation of Gary Burton.

*Chuck Berg reviewed a concert in Topeka by Sara Gazarek and Josh Nelson.

*Tweet o' the Week- clintashlock: I think if someone asked me to explain joy, I'd play them a recording of a Stevie Wonder harmonica solo.

*From an American Jazz Museum press release about the MCC-Penn Valley 18th & Vine Jazz Festival: Presented in partnership with MCC-Penn Valley, this festival is a non-competitive event providing middle school, high school and collegiate level students with an opportunity for increased experience and understanding of American jazz. All participating students will have opportunities to interact with internationally acclaimed jazz artists, local professional jazz musicians and distinguished educators as well as perform in two of the American Jazz Museum’s world renowned venues – the historic Gem Theater and the Blue Room jazz club.

*From UMKC's Conservatory of Music: …In March 2012, Kansas City brings to Le Poisson Rouge in New York a concert entitled "Crossroads": an eclectic mix of people and cultures, including composers Paul Rudy, winner of a 2010 Rome Prize fellowship; Guggenheim fellow James Mobberley; Chen Yi, winner of the Charles Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; NYC’s own John Corigliano, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Barr Laureate Composer at UMKC in 2012-14; the music of Kevin Oldham and John Kander as sung by internationally acclaimed tenor and UMKC Professor Vinson Cole; and the New York City premiere of excerpts from Zhou Long's new opera "Madame White Snake," winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Music. (Via Steve Paul.)

(Original image of Logan Richardson, Matt Otto and Steve Lambert performing at Micah Herman's album release show at the RecordBar on December 11 by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Three Stories, a new solo piano album by Eldar, was released April 5.

*KCJazzLark reports that the Mutual Musicians Foundation continues to pack 'em in.

*Michael Pagan and Millie Edwards are throwing a CD release party Thursday, April 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Jardine's.

*Pat Metheny receives lavish praise from The Guardian. The guitarist also announced a tour of "intimate venues" with bassist Larry Grenadier this fall. There's no word on a hometown date in Kansas City.

*A blogger shares his notes on a recent Snuff Jazz performance.

*Another blogger wrote a mini-review of a recent performance by Roger Wilder's band at the Blue Room.

*A French blogger raves about Diverse.

*As of 5:35 a.m. April 13, a "$20-buys-$40" Groupon deal for Jardine's was still available.

*The Lied Center created a promotional video for Thursday's concert featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band.

*Does James Farm, a new jazz supergroup, have a Kansas City-area connection? NPR's Patrick Jarenwattananon speculates.

*The locally-based author of Contemporary Jazz laments the elimination of the Contemporary Jazz Grammy Award.

*A new post at the blog of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra promotes an April 29 appearance by Gary Foster.

*Tweet o' the Week: KCJazzLark: Folly Theater is tweeting! I've criticized @THEFOLLYTHEATER for ignoring social media & now welcome them. First tweet? Karrin Allyson show.

*From Jim Mair: Bands from a three-state area will be descending on Kansas City Kansas Community College for the first Kansas City Jazz Summit April 25-30. For six days – from Monday through Saturday – some of the best young musicians in the Midwest will be performing along with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Quintet and the Kansas City High School Jazz All-Stars. Twenty-four high school and college bands and two jazz choirs from Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas will be adjudicated by members of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and other leading jazz educators from the Kansas City area Thursday through Saturday.

*From Jim Mair: The unbeatable combination of great jazz and great barbecue will be the order of the night for the annual Jazz Cabaret at Kansas City Kansas Community College Thursday, April 28. One of the highlights of the first ever Jazz Summit to be held on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue, the Cabaret will kick off at 5 p.m. with a “Mocktail Happy Hour” featuring jazz vocalists in the lower level of the Jewell Center. Details are here.

*The 2011-12 season of the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College has been announced. It includes Ambrose Akinmusire, one of the most buzzed-about names in jazz. Here's a list of the jazz-related events in the series: 9/30- The Miles Davis Experience featuring the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet 11/12- Max Weinberg; 12/03 Turtle Island Quartet; 12/16- Burning River Brass Band; 1/21- Poncho Sanchez.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Norman Brown and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are among the acts scheduled to perform at this year's Jazz In the Woods festival.

*The Kansas City Jazz Summit will be held at Kansas City Kansas Community College and Unity on the Plaza at the end of April.

*Steve Paul reviewed Benny Golson's performance at the Blue Room. So did Elgin Smith.

*Before Joe Lovano's concert Saturday, a representative of the Folly Theater announced that the following acts have been booked for the venue's 2011-12 jazz series: Nnenna Freelon, John Pizzarelli, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Yellowjackets.

*Chuck Berg raves about Kim Park.

*Doug Ramsey provides a troubling report on ailing Basie band alumnus Frank Foster.

*Another lesson in Kansas City jazz history is offered by KCJazzLark.

*Lawrence's Blueprint Jazz is featured in the University Daily Kansan.

*The new album by Clint Ashlock's New Jazz Order is now available at iTunes.

*Here's a nice new video feature about Pat Metheny's Orchestrion project.

*Performances by Snuff Jazz and the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey were reviewed by The Star.

*An animated discussion about the merits of KKFI follow a letter from radio station personality Barry Jackson.

*Steve Penn provides an update on the health of Ray Reed.

*Tweet o' the Week: americanjazzkc: Taxes are never fun, but it's only through the E-tax that the AJM is able to stay open and provide the exhibitions and programming we do.

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

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Blame It On My Youth

I occasionally experienced anxiety attacks night terrors as a child. The room spun and a sonic whirlpool rushed through my head. I'd suppressed forgotten these incidents until I first saw Mark Southerland twirl a hose connected to a saxophone during a Snuff Jazz performance. The effect recreated the nightmarish sound that once terrified me.

Last night's Snuff Jazz recital was doubly intense. Guest artist Brian Haas, keyboardist of the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, echoed Southerland's sound effect on a melodica.

I now know how to manage the onset of vertigo, so the combined effort of Southerland and Haas hardly phased me. They did inspire, however, thoughts about the relationship between age and music, especially in terms of jazz.

I'd spend the previous night listening to the incredible Deborah Brown. (Here's the Star's review.) About 150 people caught all or part of Brown's performance. Their median age was a relatively youthful 45. The median age of the audience of four-dozen at the Record Bar on Sunday was an even more encouraging 30.

I'm constantly wringing my hands about what will become of jazz once the original fans of artists ranging from Stan Kenton to the Crusaders succumb to old age.

Kansas City is loaded with scores of promising young jazz musicians, yet it's not uncommon for them to play for small audiences consisting of people three times their age. The jazz kids even have a hard time convincing their friends and romantic interests to attend their gigs.

That's why I invest so much hope in acts like Haas' Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and in the artist I call The One. I also wholeheartedly approve of the crossover attempts of The Bad Plus, Vijay Iyer and Brad Mehldau. The efforts of Kansas City-based forward thinkers like Hermon Mehari and Mark Lowrey are even better.

If innovative projects like Black Friday don't succeed, I'm afraid that jazz faces a truly nightmarish future.

(Original image of Brian Haas and Snuff Jazz by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Snuff Jazz

Snuff Jazz will be joined by Brian Haas of the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey at the Record Bar on Sunday. Here's Plastic Sax's 2009 interview with Haas. While the embedded video captures a performance by "Snuff Flamenco" rather than Snuff Jazz, Plastic Sax readers will surely appreciate the opportunity to hear Mark Southerland play (relatively) straight. Besides, Beau Bledsoe's guitar work is impeccable and the visuals are rather enchanting.

Scary Thoughts

Plastic Sax fully endorses libertinism.

That said, the Halloween party at Jardine's described in a recent column by Hearne Christopher, Jr., sounds a little too kinky for me. Snuff Jazz, wonderfully depicted in this video, will be on stage.

Christopher's piece made me wonder about appropriate Kansas City jazz-themed costumes.

I suppose I could don vintage gear like the guys in Grand Marquis. But I'd rather not be a generalized jazz cat.

Would there be a respectful, dignified way to depict Charlie Parker? And would anyone besides Plastic Sax's readers know who Parker was? For that same reason, dressing as Count Basie or even Tom Pendergast might be an exercise in frustration.

With the help of a wig, gown and makeup artist, I'll bet I could make a great Marilyn Maye or Ida McBeth. But again, I don't swing that way. (McBeth, incidentally, is performing at the Blue Room on Halloween.)

Maybe I should just attend Halloween festivities as myself. After all, what could be creepier than an obsessive jazz blogger?

(Original photo by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A monumental shift in the Kansas City jazz scene is scheduled to take place this Saturday night. Jardine's, long associated with its solid but conservative booking policy, features Snuff Jazz from 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. The collective's leader, Mark Southerland, is the most visible representative of Kansas City's underground experimental jazz scene. An editorial in the club's weekly newsletter addresses the adventurous booking. "Come out and hear something new," they implore. "You may hate it, or you may have a really really good time." The times they are a-changin'. Plastic Sax is very pleased.

*Sunday's Star offered the exciting news that a ballet featuring vintage Kansas City jazz is in the works. Here are the details.

*Steve Penn writes that Friday marks the 100th anniversary of Claude "Fiddler" Williams' birth. A celebration will be held at the Mutual Musicians Foundation. I sure do miss Claude.

*It's official- KKFI now offers only ten hours of dedicated jazz programming a week. Look for the thin strip of pink (of all the nerve!) on the station's color-coded programming guide.

*Plastic Sax's counterpart in St. Louis previews concerts by Michael Wolff and Terrell Stafford, both of whom are also on their way to Kansas City.

*A tourist from Michigan blogs about his impressions of the American Jazz Museum and other Kansas City institutions.

*Wichita's smooth jazz advocate goes nuts over a New York radio station's format change.

*Don't forget to be Plastic Sax's MySpace friend. My shameless marketing campaign at the social networking site, incidentally, has been effective. More than three people now visit this site daily.

(I omitted the Majestic from my virtual jazz tour, but it's a memorable destination in downtown Kansas City. Photo by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A local artist made an excellent video that captures the spirit of the American Jazz Museum's "Street Festival" last weekend. It's above. Even though I stood right next to this guy a couple times, I don't make any accidental cameo appearances. His editing skills are commendable. Note that the R&B cover band he identifies as Event is actually Karma.

*Here's the Star's review of the event.

*The Star's Steve Penn addresses progress at 18th & Vine. He touches on related subjects here. Blogger impresario Tony is not a fan.

*The politics of jazz in Kansas City can be unpleasant.

*Joe Klopus considers the American Jazz Museum's future. He quotes museum director Gregory Carroll, who also offers his perspective here.

*I'd like to know more about this Jay McShann film project.

*Lawrence.com offers a Snuff Jazz podcast.

*The Boulevard Big Band has a new release.

*Guitarist Danny Embrey gets a little attention here.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*I began frequenting the Phoenix in the '80s in part because the jazz club afforded me the opportunity to rub shoulders with Speedy Huggins and the Scamps. That history makes this development especially difficult. Both Plastic Sax and Hearne Christopher have been reporting that the Phoenix has been dark for weeks. Their web site now confirms it.

*The great untold story in Kansas City music is the tragic saga of Gregory Hickman-Williams. It looks like Lee plans to spread the word.

*NPR produced a fine podcast about Charlie Parker.

*The Star's Joe Klopus profiled Chris Burnett.

*Star columnist Steve Penn wrote a positive account of the local jazz scene. In another column, he tells the story of Loren Pickford.

*I'm not sure I'd have gone with the headline "Jewish Jazz Musician Releases CD". The story reveals Andrea Pharr's ill-advised marketing strategy. Unfortunately, she's not the only area jazz artist with a deliberately difficult approach. (Story tip from Tony.)

*The savvy jazz-oriented acts performing at the Crossroads Music Fest include the Scamps, Mike Dillon and Malachy Papers.

*Here's a newly uploaded Snuff Jazz video.

*Here's a lengthy blog post about a night at the Blue Room.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The New York Times' recent historical revisionism of Charlie Parker's career did not sit well with some locals. The gist of the piece seems to be that Kansas City represented nothing but an unfortunate roadblock for Parker.

*Meanwhile, the Star's Steve Penn mused on Parker's influence and Steve Paul offered an analysis of the state of jazz in Kansas City.

*The New York Times and jazz blogger Darcy James Argue offer differing opinions on the Charlie Parker Festival.

*Eldar garnered some ink in the New York Daily News.

*The American Jazz Museum receives a lot of flack. So it's nice to see a positive review of the facility on a travel blog.

*Lee Ingalls produced an excellent audio profile of preparation for a recent Snuff Jazz concert.

*The Pitch provides a fun video of a gal tap-dancing and goofing with Bobby Watson at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

*One shouldn't put much- if any- stock in the Missouri state fair's annual mock elections. Still, it's telling that "Kansas City Jazz" was trounced in a slate of four candidates.

(Photograph of Parker sculpture by Plastic Sax.)