Jazz Lobbyists

I'm visiting one of the tens of thousands of fledgling politicians, lobbyists and bureaucrats in our nation's capitol. 

While the young adults have bright futures, the high cost of living and the low salaries that accompany entry-level positions in Washington D.C. limits their current cash flow. 

The conditions have created a perfect storm for Jazz In the Garden at the National Gallery of Art.  The most recent event in the free Friday night concert series drew an overflow audience of more than 2,000.  Every patch of the sculpture garden was claimed.  Juanita Williams, a R&B-oriented vocalist not unlike Kansas City's Millie Edwards, performed this weekend. 

As the photo indicates, the audience wasn't particularly attentive, but the mere fact that thousands of fresh-faced people rally around a series that's billed as jazz is encouraging. 

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Groovin' High: First Impressions of the Kill Devil Club

The first thing that impressed me on my initial visit to the Kill Devil Club, a new venue featuring live jazz at the southeast corner of 14th & Main last week, was the volume.  Diverse, the evening's featured entertainment, was loud.  Really loud. I've seen Hermon Mehari's band perform at least two dozen times, but only the Riot Room has amplified the band to such an extreme level.  I loved it.

Even so, most of the fifty young and notably attractive people in the room shouted over Diverse's groove-oriented covers of hits by Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.  Only Diverse's rendition of "*****'* In Paris" put a halt to the chatter.

The second thing that made a big impression on me were the substantial ice cubes that chilled my delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice.  So manly!  The extensive drink menu is pricey, but the Kill Devil Club's friendly service, swanky decor and dim lighting make alcohol seem like a wise investment.  The opportunity to enjoy jazz while contemplating an expansive view of the Power & Light District and the iconic H&R Block building adds to the club's allure.

The venue isn't perfect.  The small stage is in the central corner of the L-shaped space. Most of the seating, consequently, offers obstructed views of the stage.  And the Kill Devil Club's growing pains include an unclear cover charge policy and woefully inadequate advance notification of bookings.

The Kill Devil Club has been open for less than a month.  A recent string of failed jazz ventures has given advocates of the music numerous reasons to be skeptical.  For now, however, the Kill Devil Club serves as a very welcome addition to Kansas City's jazz scene.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Hearts of Darkness- Shelf Life

The cover of Hearts of Darkness' new album Shelf Life depicts a delectable stack of vinyl that includes titles by James Brown, Trouble Funk, Sonny Sharrock, Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament, Herbie Hancock, the Neville Brothers and Joe Williams with the Count Basie Orchestra.  The influence of each of those acts is easily discernible on the Kansas City-based band's second release. 

Shelf Life represents a significant progression for the large collective.  Although it's an imperfect document of the rapidly evolving band, Shelf Life is a first-rate party-starter by one of Kansas City's premier live acts.

"Chippin' Away," the best of the album's nine tracks, highlights the band's strengths- rapper Les Izmore's boasting, brash horn charts, an aggressive sax solo, swinging female vocalists and a vital groove.

The Bobby Watson jingle associated with Steve Kraske's Up To Date program on KCUR is really hip.  As soon as a savvy programmer claims Hearts of Darkness' brief instrumental "Come Forward" as his or her theme song, however, Up To Date's soundtrack will become the second-best in town.  Longtime fan favorite "Numeration," the deeply funky "Suspicious People" and the unruly "Standing On the Corner" provide additional highlights.  All three songs are superior to the material on the band's 2010 debut album. 

Occasional blemishes- a momentum-killing sax solo on the opening track and a couple of unmemorable songs among them- prevent Shelf Life from being the best locally-released album of 2012.  Should Hearts of Darkness continue to progress at its current rate, however, it will soon join the elite ranks of contemporary Afrobeat-related acts like Antibalas.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Shades of Jade at The Brick

Recent releases by Robert Glasper, Christian Scott and Esperanza Spalding are among the albums I've listened to most in 2012.  When I attend performances by jazz musicians, however, I rarely hear anything that remotely resembles the sounds made by the trendsetting musicians of today.  Most Kansas City-based artists work in styles that are steadfastly rooted in the '40s, '50s and '60s.  I love that stuff, but I often pine for live performances of current jazz.

That's why I flipped my lid when bandleader Josh Williams introduced the second selection I heard Shades of Jade play at The Brick on August 11.

"According to Eddie (Moore), if you don't know who Robert Glasper is, you're living under a rock," Williams said.

As the quartet wound through a creative arrangement of Glasper's new song "Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)," I knew that everything was truly up to date in Kansas City.  I also began kicking myself for not previously catching Shades of Jade. I'd heard three members of the quartet in other contexts plenty of times.  Williams, trumpet and flugelhorn, works a lot.  Bassist Dominique Sanders is one of the scene's young stars.  Keyboardist Eddie Moore is often seen in conventional jazz bands and he plays an integral role in plenty of hip hop shows.  Only drummer Julian Goff has flown under my radar. 

Energetic and fearless, Shades of Jade reminds me of Diverse in 2009.  There's no reason to believe that the members of Shades of Jade won't achieve a similar level of renown.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Out of Nowhere

If surprise is one of the most treasured qualities of jazz, why are so many performances by jazz musicians entirely predictable?  I've heard many of the same men and women play precisely the same solos on the same material with the same accompanists for twenty years.  Advocates of these artists presumably appreciate their constancy.  Others, myself included, think this mentality is stale. 

That's just one reason many members of the new wave of jazz musicians working in Kansas City is so refreshing.  On Saturday, for instance, Diverse performed at the Riot Room as part of the annual Pitch Music Showcase.  Rather than offering a straight jazz set, Hermon Mehari, Dominique Sanders, Brad Williams, Peter Schlamb and Matt Villinger backed Reach in an invigorating groove-based, rap-themed show. 

One could easily argue that the atypical lineup and the emphasis on hip hop disqualified the outing as a "jazz" performance and even as a "Diverse" performance. A conventional jazz purist attending attending Saturday's showcase expecting to hear Mehari's updates on Clifford Brown material would undoubtedly have been furious.  Yet Mehari had advised his Facebook followers earlier in the day of the content of the gig.

The incorporation of elements of hip hop, obviously, isn't necessary to make jazz interesting.  A great soloist- Kansas City's Bobby Watson comes immediately to mind- could find an infinite number of intriguing ways to play familiar standards.  And plenty of forward-thinking musicians ranging from the members of the People's Liberation Big Band to Pat Metheny are notoriously loathe to repeat themselves.

I hope that the risks regularly taken by the members of Diverse and by peers including fellow Pitch Music Showcase artist Mark Lowrey remind the entirety of the regional jazz community that improvisation shouldn't necessarily be limited to solos played on the bandstand.

(Original image of "Diverse" playing "jazz" at the Riot Room by "Plastic Sax.")

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Book of Gaia was featured on KCUR's Central Standard program.

*Esperanza Spalding, the woman referred to as "The Future" in the Plastic Sax offices, will perform at Helzberg Hall on October 9.

*Kansas City's jazz clubs are reexamined by KCJazzLark.  Kansas City's most prominent blogger takes exception to KCJazzLark's optimism, suggesting that "nothing is going to revive the dead corpse of Kansas City jazz."

*"(F)*ck New York, look at the sh*t thats going on in KC," Phonologotronic asserts as he promotes an August 3 performance titled Fluid Fractures.

*Rep. Emanuel Cleaver paid tribute to the late Ben Kynard.

*Tim Finn wrote a profile of Marco Pascolini.

*Mike Phillips, an Atlanta-based contemporary jazz saxophonist, performed Canada's national anthem at the MLB All-Star game in Kansas City.

*Someone snuck a camera into a Black House Improvisors Collective rehearsal.

*Chris Mills' describes a recent performance by Nicolay & the Hot at Nights at the Blue Room.  Here's fan footage of the show.

*Ernestine Anderson is among the performers at the annual Charlie Parker Festival.  Alas, Kansas Citians must travel to New York to attend.

*Time Out London previews a Bobby Watson gig.

*All of Joe Dimino's Neon Jazz programs are available as audio streams.  The most recent episode opens with the Ben Kynard composition "Red Top."

*My fiendish plan worked.  Steve Kraske featured Matt Otto's "Bird" on KCUR's Up To Date last week.  The show streams here.  Otto's music appears at the 24:00 mark.

*Tweet o' the Week: kcjazzlark- At Take Five: Matt Otto & Rich Wheeler, tenor saxes, TJ Martley, piano, Ben Leifer, bass, Sam Wisman, drums, have the full house mesmerized.

*Comment o' the Week: "Kenny G"- If you think PLBB has or ever had a "manager", clearly you've never been to one of their shows.

*An amusing debate is raging in the comment section the Plastic Sax review of the new Music for Owen/Cox Dance Group, Vol. 1 album.

*From Michael Pagán: The second installment of the "Jazz In The Weeds" festival is Saturday, July 28, at 7607 E. 65th St., KCMO 64113.  The Michael Pagán Quartet featuring bassist Bob Bowman serve as headliners.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Grading the 2012-13 Folly and Gem Seasons

Out with the old and in with the new.  While many of the artists featured in the 2012-13 seasons of the Folly Theater's jazz series and the American Jazz Museum's Jammin' at the Gem series are no longer young, almost all of the musicians represent an encouraging acknowledgment that the audience for conventional swing-based jazz is dissipating.  Audiences interested in relevant, artistically-challenging music will be well-served by these bold selections.  The tide has turned. 

Pat Metheny's Unity Band
Folly Theater, September 6
Aside from a sold out 2008 benefit concert for the Metheny Foundation in Lee's Summit, Pat Metheny last appeared with a full band in the Kansas City area in 2007.  While his Orchestrion concert at the Uptown Theater in 2010 and his duet date with Larry Grenadier at Liberty Hall last year were exquisite, his long-awaited non-series gig with the new Unity Band- Metheny, Chris Potter, Ben Williams and Antonio Sanchez- at the Folly promises to be transcendent.
Grade: A

Chick Corea and Gary Burton with the Harlem String Quartet
Gem Theater, September 29
Crystal Silence, the 1973 duet album by Gary Burton and Chick Corea, altered the way I experience music when I first encountered it in the '80s.  The two jazz legends have an extraordinary musical kinship.  I assume the Harlem String Quartet will recreate the role the Sydney Symphony played on the 2008 album New Crystal Silence. 
Grade: A

Vijay Iyer
Folly Theater, October 19
Vijay Iyer made history last week when he won five categories of the 60th Annual DownBeat International Critics Poll.   He claimed the top slot in the following divisions- jazz artist of the year, top jazz album, top pianist, top jazz group and "rising star composer."  Should you believe the hype?  Yes.  His concepts are strikingly original.  While he's played in St. Louis, Columbia and Wichita, this date with bassist Stephen Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore marks Iyer's Kansas City debut.
Grade: A

Anat Cohen Quartet
Folly Theater, December 14
Anat Cohen's live 2010 album includes reverent renditions of standards like "St. James Infirmary," "Body and Soul" and "What a Little Moonlight Can Do."  Yet she imbues tired material with a progressive sensibility.  And she doesn't limit herself to jazz.  Cohen has also proved her mettle as an accomplished choro musician.  Dowbeat's 2012 clarinetist of the year is the rare artist capable of appealing to fans of Benny Goodman, Paulo Moura and Kenny Garrett.
Grade: B

The James Carter Organ Trio
Folly Theater, January 25
The Folly Theater will briefly revisit its inglorious days as a burlesque house on January 25 when James Carter fronts an organ trio at the elegant venue.  While I'd prefer to hear the versatile Carter work in another format, the saxophonist will undoubtedly play the blues with greasy conviction alongside organist Gerard Gibbs and drummer Leonard King.
Grade: B+

The Kenny Garrett Quartet
Folly Theater, February 15
Kenny Garrett, 51, is one of the most important saxophonists of his generation.  Even so, I've always wanted even more from the great musician.  His latest album, Seeds From the Underground, is fine, but it doesn't scream "genius."  I imagine that Pres and Bean were burdened by similarly unfair expectations.   
Grade: A-

Kurt Elling
Gem Theater, February 16
It's no secret that I don't particularly relish jazz vocalists. But Kurt Elling's different.  He's stylistically more adventurous and musically more interesting than most of his peers.  His latest release includes unlikely material by Joe Jackson and King Crimson in addition to more typical fare from the likes of the Beatles, Miles Davis and Stevie Wonder.   Old-school artists like Tony Bennett aside, Elling is the most important male vocalist in jazz.
Grade: A-

Matthew Rybicki
Folly Theater, March 9
Bassist Matthew Rybicki is still hungry enough that his cell phone number is published at his site.  His 2011 debut album Driven indicates that he's a formalist in the tradition of Ray Brown, which not surprising given his association with Jazz at Lincoln Center.  A press release suggests that the concertgoers should expect "a couple of New York City's young jazz lions to 'spar' with some of Kansas City's jazz greats."  Vague enough for you?  A real wild card, this show could be either brilliant or boring.
Grade: B

Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour
Gem Theater, March 23
Could this be too much of a good thing?  In such an embarrassment of riches, how will each star find enough time to shine?  Dee Dee Bridgewater's 2007 outing is probably my favorite performance at the Gem.   I missed the 2011 appearance by young lion Ambrose Akinmusire at Johnson County Community College.  I hope he'll have an opportunity to showcase his forward-thinking concepts in this format.  Local audiences are very familiar with Christian McBride. Chris Potter will have appeared with Pat Metheny at the Folly in September 2012.  Dependable stalwarts Benny Green and Lewis Nash round out the bill.   
Grade: A-

Eliane Elias
Folly Theater, April 13
A locally-based musician likes to share a rhapsodic anecdote about Eliane Elias.  He recalls that Elias' sashay to the stage of the Drum Room sold an audience on her merits even before she played a note.  Elias isn't just another Brazilian beauty.  The terrific musician is renowned for her artful- if sometimes excessively sweet- brand of jazz.
Grade: B+

Eric Harlan and Voyager
Gem Theater, April 13
Among drummer Eric Harland's impressive accomplishments is his membership in the all-star band James Farm. The ensemble he'll lead at the Gem is just as stellar.  The collective includes guitarist Julian Lage, pianist Taylor Eigsti, saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Harish Raghavan.  Watch, listen and be awestruck here.  This show might be the most exciting jazz concert of 2013.
Grade: A

Alex Bugnon
Gem Theater, May 18
Every Jammin' at the Gem season includes at least one smooth jazz act.  The booking may not be a favorite among Plastic Sax readers, but organizers count on these shows to pack the house.  The deliberately innocuous sensibility of keyboardist and composer Alex Bugnon promises to be a real crowd-pleaser.  Trumpeter Cindy Bradley will add airy textures to the proceedings. 
Grade: C+

I conducted similar exercises for the 2010-11 seasons here and here, for 2009-10 here and for 2008-09 here and here.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Welcome to the Future

The embedded video may simply look like five guys playing cerebral jazz for a small audience.  I see more- a lot more.  The video represents the future of jazz in Kansas City.  Four of the five young musicians are graduates of the jazz program at UMKC's Conservatory of Music.  They're playing a gig in Michael Shults' current base of Cincinnati with St. Louis' Peter Schlamb.  At a time when jazz is an afterthought at area "jazz" festivals and the number of Kansas City venues dedicated to jazz can be counted on the hand of a careless butcher, the elements exhibited in this modest video provide a reason to celebrate.

Disperse- It's Diverted!

I haven't asked the members of Diverse about the motives behind their recent punk performance at Club Mustache.  The embedded video offers insights into the atmosphere of the unlikely evening.

As someone who developed a love of jazz and punk simultaneously, the concept of successfully merging the two forms has long intrigued me.  I'm not the only one.  I once shared a moment with Black Flag's Greg Ginn when we discovered our mutual love of Sonny Rollins.  Yet as Ginn's efforts have indicated, most attempts to combine punk's aggression with the innate artfulness of jazz are unsatisfying.  A more promising (and potentially lucrative) proposition occurs when hip hop and jazz artists with nihilistic attitudes collaborate.

Traditionalists might wonder why Kansas City's premier young jazz act would opt to play punk.  I'd counter by suggesting that it's precisely that adventurous spirit and willingness to take risks that make Diverse notable. In 2012, jazz can't have too many daring artists like Ambrose Akinmusire, Robert Glasper, Lionel Loueke and Jason Moran.  Diverted offers further confirmation that Ben Leifer, Hermon Mehari, Dominique Sanders and Brad Williams are similarly fearless musicians.

Harold O'Neal's Artistic Autonomy

As agonizingly difficult and ultimately unproductive discussions about the meaning of jazz in 2011 hold sway at Plastic Sax and elsewhere, Harold O'Neal continues to epitomize the limitless range of an artistically autonomous musician. The Kansas City native former resident of Kansas City combines classical romanticism with Art Tatum-influenced jazz on his new solo piano album Marvelous Fantasy. O'Neal has also spend much of the year touring with underground hip hop star Murs. (Here's a bit of live footage.) Studio 360 offers a new 17-minute interview with O'Neal. (Tip on the Studio 360 feature via my friend E.G.'s Facebook status.)

Now's the Time: Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding returns to Kansas City on Friday as a member of Joe Lovano's US 5. It's the bassist's first appearance in the area since she was featured in the Folly Theater's jazz series in 2009. While Spalding's performance in the embedded video is captivating, she'll be offering rhythmic support of Lovano at the Gem Theater. Joe Klopus previewed the show.

Review: Anthony Wilson at the Westport Coffeehouse

On the same evening many of Kansas City's most prominent citizens donned tuxedos and evening gowns to attend the grand opening of The Kauffman Center, about fifty people in everyday apparel descended a creaky staircase at The Westport Coffeehouse to take in a relatively low-profile but artistically-rewarding jazz gig.

The first forty minutes of the performance made this correspondent forget all about the big hullabaloo thirty blocks away. (Other obligations prevented me from staying longer.) The quartet of guitarist Anthony Wilson, saxophonist Matt Otto, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Tim Cambron struck an ideal balance between mainstream and outside jazz.

It was no surprise to find that the Los Angeles-based Wilson merits his reputation as an artistic peer of Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny, but no one warned me that he hums and sings as he plays. Instead of a grating whine in the style of Keith Jarrett, the pleasant noise Wilson emits resembles the singing of Milton Nascimento. Far more jarring was Wilson's tendency to loudly comp over the solos of his band mates. I liked the approach, but that sort of aggressiveness is rarely displayed when Kansas City's jazz musicians get together. Otto and Spaits were, of course, excellent. I rarely see Cambron in a free setting. He excelled in the off-leash environment.

The intense focus of the audience was also refreshing. Alcohol and jazz may be a time-tested combination, but an attentive audience in a dry listening room is vastly preferable to a lubricated and talkative crowd in a bar. And the sound in the somewhat funky basement is excellent.

More like this please.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Kansas City Sound Collective at Jardine's

Although it was billed as the band's debut, Thursday's gig at Jardine's wasn't the first time The Kansas City Sound Collective played together in public. The group of young jazz musicians has met up several times for informal jam sessions at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

The 45 minutes of the first set I caught Thursday didn't offer many surprises, but everything I heard was smart, sophisticated and expertly played. The band's approach was not unlike a mid-'60s date for Blue Note, with saxophonist Steve Lambert assuming the role of Wayne Shorter and trumpeter Hermon Mehari playing the part of Lee Morgan.

A number of notable jazz musicians were among audience of about 50. I sat near drummer Ryan Lee and couldn't help noticing his intent study of the significantly less rambunctious style of his counterpart Brad Williams. Pianist Andrew Ouellette and bassist Dominique Sanders rounded out the group. The five guys on stage had a cumulative age of not much more than 100.

The Kansas City Sound Collective operates under an awkward moniker and its approach is unapologetically conservative. Everything else about the band, however, is positively sublime.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: UMKC Conservatory Concert Jazz Band featuring Jack Walrath at White Recital Hall

The ongoing opportunity to hear Bobby Watson tear it up is one of the best things Kansas City has to offer. No matter the setting, the jazz giant's exuberance is infectious.

Watson led the UMKC Conservatory Concert Jazz Band Wednesday, April 6, in a performance at White Recital Hall. The concert featured two arrangements commissioned for the event and the compositions and trumpet work of featured guest artist Jack Walrath. About 100 people attended.

The concert began with the world premiere of Edward Simon's arrangement of Horace Silver's "Song For My Father." In spite of drummer Ryan Lee's bashing, it seemed a bit creaky. Even the colorful presence of Walrath couldn't keep a few of the subsequent pieces from sounding overly academic.

A handful of participants, including saxophonists Blake Deibel and Brett Jackson and excellent bassist Zach Beeson, stood out. And as many already know, drummer Brian Steever is perhaps the most visually entertaining musician on Kansas City's jazz scene. It was disappointing, however, that not every student in the 18-piece ensemble was allowed to solo.

The final two selections were easily the most memorable. Walrath's raucous "Sorry Display in a '65 Ford" was in the vein of the wild music made during the trumpeter's stint as a member of Charles Mingus' band. Watson picked up his alto saxophone during the world premiere of Tyler Gilmore's arrangement of "Deep Pockets," a composition from Watson's 2008 From the Heart album.

A joyful noise ensued.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Thriving On a Riff: Sir Threadius Mongus

This, my Kansas City jazz friends, is how it's done.

Sue Vicory's film aside, I've long lamented the lack of decent video documenting Kansas City's current jazz scene. The embedded clip- raw but professional- captures the essence of the Sir Threadius Mongus aesthetic. Although it looks like a lot of work went into it, the video probably didn't cost much to produce.

Recorded at the R Bar on December 16, 2010, the video serves as a teaser for the collective's forthcoming Threads release. Here's the lineup: Russell Thorpe- bass clarinet, Matt Otto- tenor, Patrick Ketter- tenor, Matt Hayes- bass, Annie Ellicott- vocals, Jonathan Taylor- drums and Jeff Davis- guitar and composition.

More like this, please.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*I've never attempted to disguise my infatuation with Esperanza Spalding. Ever since I wrote this essay about the significance of Spalding in 2009, I've taken to calling her "The One." That's why I suspect Tim Finn might be referring to me in his wrap-up of the Grammy Awards. "Her victory was particularly sweet for jazz and other music fans, who tend to dismiss the importance of the Grammys until they win one," he wrote. That's me, all right.

*Michael Shults wrote a fantastic profile of fellow former Kansas Citian Phil DeGreg for All About Jazz.

*Various incarnations of Diverse are praised by KCJazzLark.

*A Bonner Springs publication features Mimi Carbery.

*A February 17 auction in the Chicago area will include a box lot of vintage Kansas City jazz albums.

*Dave Stephens' biggest fan documents a gig.

*Howard Mandel is diligently reporting on the possible end of the Jazz Masters Program. Several recent events at Kansas City's American Jazz Museum have benefited from its connection to the publicly-funded initiative.

*Tweet o' the Week: StLJazzNotes: Bill Frisell to perform Thursday, May 12 at the Old Rock House.

*From Chris Burnett: Live at the Hollywood Theater will open its 2011 Season on March 19, 2011 with a double bill concert featuring the two ensembles led by Chris Burnett and Matt Otto. Both Kansas City-based saxophone artists and composers will present a 45 minute set of combining original works and select work by other composers. There will be an intermission between ensemble performances. The series also serves as a community fundraiser... Future concerts in the Leavenworth series include The Elders (Celtic rock) on May 14 and Angela Hagenbach on November 19.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: A Vibe Called Fresh at the Blue Room

I bought The Low End Theory as a new release in 1991. A Tribe Called Quest's fusion of jazz and hip hop combined my passions for both forms of music. It came as a surprise, consequently, that I was possibly the oldest person on hand in the Blue Room last Wednesday to witness a live recreation of the seminal album.

Over 100 young adults paid $10 to see Diverse, Reach and Les Izmore make the effort. Of the 100-plus times I've been to the Blue Room, it was the youngest crowd I've ever seen there. The jazz club is usually shuttered on Wednesdays. Here's hoping the success of this event will inspire the management of the American Jazz Museum to consider hosting a jazz-meets-hip hop night every Wednesday.

When I arrived, Glenn North, poet and Education Program Manager of the American Jazz Museum, was giving a thoughtful lecture on the relationship between jazz and hip hop. His presentation would be invaluable for middle school students. The talk was followed by a brief but impeccable jazz set by Diverse. The addition of pianist Eddie Moore was nice, but the clear star of the night was bassist Ben Leifer. He held it down like a champion.

After Diverse burned through Kenny Garrett's "Wayne's Thang", trumpeter Hermon Mehari rapped the opening lines of "Excursions" in deliberately inept fashion. Hilarious! I wasn't laughing quite as hard a few minutes later. I mean no disrespect to accomplished performers Izmore and Reach, but I really missed hearing the unique flows of Q-Tip and Phife. Maybe I could have make the adjustment if the distorted mix hadn't been quite so hideous.

The musicians, of course, had every right to take liberties with The Low End Theory. Yet several of their choices, including performing the album out of sequence, didn't appeal to me. Apoplectic about the sound quality and annoyed by the artistic choices, I left the Blue Room during the first break.

Elke Mermis of The Pitch liked the show more than me. Here's her review. And since I couldn't be bothered to get out of my seat, it's also fortunate that the The Pitch took good photos.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Steve Lambert Quartet at the Record Bar

There's a tough new tenor in town. Steve Lambert doesn't look the part. The kid is as thin as a rail. I've seen the saxophonist play in a number of configurations, most notably as a member of Crosscurrent, but Lambert was a revelation as he led his own group Sunday, January 16, at the Record Bar.

Joined by T.J. Martley on electronic keyboard, Seth Lee on bass and Matt Leifer on drums, Lambert evoked Johnny Griffin, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and yes, John Coltrane in a performance for an audience of about 25 during the evening's first set. While not nearly as burly as those jazz giants, Lambert possesses a strong tone and aggressive attack. There's no reason to think he won't continue to improve at a dramatic pace.

A rendition of Bud Powell's "Celia" was mainstream enough to please jazz traditionalists, but the most rewarding moments came when the quartet played with reckless abandon on original material including the shrewdly-titled "19th & Highland." I understand that Lambert will release an album later this month.

Lambert, incidentally, is not to be confused with this jazz musician with the same name. Alas, Kansas City's Steve Lambert is the one without a web site.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Plastic Sax's Top Ten Concerts and Albums of 2010

A couple years ago a Plastic Sax reader suggested that I reveal my personal musical preferences. I demurred. Keeping my tastes to myself seemed appropriate at the time. As this site has become more prominent, however, whatever veil of anonymity once existed has been shredded. Here are my favorite jazz albums and jazz performances of 2010.

Albums
1. Bobby Watson- The Gates BBQ Suite
2. Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green- Apex
3. Esperanza Spalding- Chamber Music Society
4. Alaturka- Tamam Abi
5. Mulatu Astatke- Mulatu Steps Ahead
6. Brad Mehldau- Highway Rider
7. Hearts of Darkness (self-titled)
8. The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City (self-titled)
9. The Bad Plus- Never Stop
10. Mark Lowrey- Live at Jardine's

Performances
1. Marilyn Maye- Jardine's
2. Bobby Watson- Blue Room
3. Matt Otto Quartet- Jardine's
4. Pat Metheny- Uptown Theater
5. Stefon Harris and Blackout- White Recital Hall
6. Deborah Brown- Blue Room
7. Alaturka- Jardine's
8. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra- Yardley Hall
9. The People's Liberation Big Band- Record Bar
10. Bobby Watson with students- GiGi's Jazz Inn

(Original image of Sachal Vasandani at the Folly Theater by Plastic Sax.)

Mark Lowrey: The Plastic Sax Person of the Year

While I futilely fret about the diminishing audience for jazz, Mark Lowrey is actively addressing the problem. His ongoing "musical evangelism" represents Kansas City's best hope for cultivating new jazz listeners. Lowrey didn't know that he was going to be named Plastic Sax's Person of the Year when he recently participated in the following email interview.

Plastic Sax: I suspect that you are Kansas City's most active working musician. Is that true?

Mark Lowrey: I can't say for sure. I love to play, and the instrument that chose me lends itself to playing in a wide variety of styles and as a solo artist.

PS: Which of your many gigs gives you the most satisfaction?

ML: Very difficult question- as you know, I have diverse interests. Playing straight-ahead jazz gives me very different emotional connections than, say, tango or folk/pop, etc. I guess I would have to say that the best I feel is in any group where I can be proud of a performance and at the same time it is apparent that the audience has been moved in some way.

PS: Are you able to make a living as a musician?

ML: Yes. I supplement my performance income with a very part-time position at Hallmark. My title is "Creative on-call multimedia sound composer." Among other things, I get to write music that goes in stuffed animals. I love it, but it's only once in a while.

PS: How much time do you spend conceptualizing, practicing and rehearsing special projects like the "Black Friday" show?

ML: Every show is different, but for things like Black Friday, the Radiohead Tribute, etc., let's just say that I'd rather not calculate the income next to the hours spent.

PS: A lot of the things you do probably aren't cost-effective. How do financial considerations effect your art? Have you ever declined to pursue an idea because it looked like a money-loser?

ML: I look at bigger "one-off" shows in two ways that validate them.

A) If we (musicians) were really in this for the money, there would be something fundamentally wrong with our brains. This stuff is FUN!

I suppose I could just play in jazz clubs and play "All of Me" every night and never need to rehearse, practice, or hustle the media for coverage. It would be enough to pay the bills, but I get bored. I'm not saying that I don't like straight-ahead jazz- Red Garland is in my CD player right now.

B) Some of these less financially sustaining shows in the short term I believe are doing good things for me in the long term. I think it's important to appreciate the money gigs for the fact that they feed you. However, the gigs you do for the love of music and the desire to share this love with other people can feed you in a much different way.

PS: Do the regular misspellings of your name bother you?

ML: Ha! It happens so often that I don't freak out about it. One thing that bothers me (and it happens more than you'd think) is when I have to correct a journalist, club owner, or promoter more than one time.

PS: You've seen several of your collaborators leave Kansas City for bigger scenes like New York. Are you ever tempted to test the waters elsewhere?

ML: Yes, but I haven't tapped this town out yet. There are so many great musicians here still and the scene is on a rise. Plus, with the low cost of living and my established relationships here in KC, it's easier to put new projects together with good hope for success.

PS: Which Kansas City musicians do you most respect?

ML: So many - not the full list - here's what I can come up with in 60 seconds in no particular order. Hermon Mehari, Doug Auwarter, Roger Wilder, Shay Estes, Les Izmore, Brandon Draper, Lonnie McFadden, Donovan Bailey, Barclay Martin, Wayne Hawkins, Matt Otto. This list could be really long.

PS: What did you hope to accomplish with your new solo piano album? Are you pleased with the result?

ML: I wanted it to sound like me, which I guess is all one can hope for. It sounds like me on a good day. So I accomplished what I set out to. Albeit I have a long way to go, and a solo recording has a profound humbling effect on me. My friends and colleagues have helped me to minimize the over-self-criticism.

PS: What are the best and worst aspects of Kansas City's music scene? How could it be improved?

ML: Creativity abounds and barriers are being broken down. We still need KC citizens to "own" the fact that we are a jazz town. We need KC to take pride in and support live music. We need you.

PS: Are projects like the Radiohead tributes, the jazz/hip hop collaborations and your work in the Barclay Martin Ensemble a deliberate attempt to bring new fans to jazz, or do you even worry about that sort of thing?

ML: That is close to exactly why I do many of these things. Hermon and I call it "Musical Evangelism."

PS: Do you anticipate that traditional/straight-ahead/mainstream jazz will be played in Kansas City clubs twenty years from now?

ML: I hope so, and I hope that the more conservative musicians/audiences understand that I have a profound love for traditional jazz. I just think there's room for both schools of thought.

PS: It seems like 2010 has been a huge year for you. Can you name a couple favorite moments? What can your fans look forward to in 2011?

ML: Thanks, Bill. 2010 has been SO fun! I liked when we did our first Mark Lowrey vs. Hip Hop show in January. I looked out into the packed-like-sardines crowd at Czar Bar on a night that it was ten below zero and noticed that it was the most ethnically and culturally diverse crowd I had ever played for. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and there were no hang-ups. That is unfortunately not as common as I'd like to see in Kansas City.

Another was playing at the Folly Theater for Barclay Martin Ensemble's release of Pools That Swell With The Rain. It is an album I am proud to play on, and the Folly theater felt a little symbolic of some kind of success to me.

2011? I am sure about doing more with local emcees. I'll book more Mark Lowrey with Drums gigs in rock venues, and, ok , I'll say it: the next tribute concert will be Paul Simon.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)