Now's the Time: Kirk Whalum and Lalah Hathaway

The real wild card at Saturday's Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival is the appearance of Kirk Whalum and Lalah Hathaway. Everyone knows the game plan of Sugarfoot's Ohio Players. Nicholas Payton is a regular visitor to Kansas City and the regional acts are known commodities. But Whalum and Hathaway? Their collaboration could go either way.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KCUR conducted an instructive interview with bassist Jeff Harshbarger. Download it here.

*In a Wall Street Journal essay, Will Friewald detects the influence of Benny Carter in Bobby Watson's compositions. I referenced the same thing in my review of The Gates BBQ Suite.

*The Mutual Musicians Foundation is hosting a "Welcome Home" reception for Queen Bey on October 6.

*Matt Otto is the subject of a Joe Klopus profile.

*Tim Finn notes the 25th anniversary of Chuck Haddix's KCUR program "Fish Fry." Steve Penn quotes Haddix as he praises the LaBudde Special Collection Department at UMKC.

*I saw the new cut of Sue Vicory's Kansas City Jazz & Blues: Past, Present & Future at a screening hosted by BB's Lawnside BBQ last week. The film is much improved.

*The Good News Jazz Festival will be held October 15-16 at the Liberty Performing Arts Center. The Christian-themed event features Euge Groove, Marcus Johnson and the Wild Women of Kansas City.

*In a fascinating and very personal blog post, Chris Burnett examines the role the military played in his life.

*Jeff Harshbarger, Mark Southerland and Sam Wisman are mentioned in The Star's review of The Golem.

*KC Metropolis offers a review of the September 25 concert by The Bad Plus.

*Wonderful photos from previous Rhythm & Ribs festivals are offered by KCJazzLark.

*A few citizens of Marshall, Missouri, are planning a jazz festival.

*Here's an interesting new interview with Pat Metheny.

*Steve Paul reveals Renee Fleming's flirtation with jazz.

*Marilyn Maye's extended run at Quality Hill Playhouse begins October 29.

*The Pitch named an obsessive-compulsive weirdo "Kansas City's Best Blogger" of the year.

*Organizers of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival are attempting to win a Pepsi-sponsored contest. Votes may be cast here.

*Here's a note I received on October 3: My parents owned The Orchid Room on 12th and Vine from 1957-1962. I am desperately looking for any photos of the club (interior or exterior) and have hit a dead end. If you have or know of anyone that may have some, PLEASE contact me. Thanks. p_mazza3@yahoo.com Here's hoping a Plastic Sax reader can help this person out.

*Tweet o' the Week: djjazziedeb: Wish I could own my own jazz club. Hate it when the Blues and R&B bring in the bucks and jazz clubs stop booking jazz.

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar is loaded for October. As I've previously suggested to musicians and club owners, if a gig isn't listed, it's either because I don't consider it "jazz" or because you haven't let me know about it.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Killer Strayhorn- 80/20 Blue

Butterflies no bigger than dimes fluttered in my face as I lay in the grass when the Prairie Village Jazz Festival commenced on September 11. Warm sunshine and a cool breeze gave the perfect day a southern California feel. Similarly, the poised performance by Killer Strayhorn was more akin to the west coast jazz associated with Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan than the bluesy fire of Kansas City jazz.

80/20 Blue, the Kansas City-area ensemble's second album, mirrors that tried and true approach. A head is followed by a round of solos on most of the twelve tracks. Familiar but impeccable, the album is a sophisticated blowing session. The contributions of Bob Harvey (trumpet and flugelhorn) and James Isaac (saxophone and flute) are particularly noteworthy. Only "Damage Control" and "A Mile In Yo' Shoes pts. I-IV," tracks with arrangements that deviate from the standard pattern, stand out.

Then again, perhaps context is everything. 80/20 Blue may not rank among my favorite albums of 2010, but Chris Lewis' piano solo on Pat Metheny's "Timeline" goes down perfectly while sipping coffee on a Sunday morning. The insistent groove of"Whits-Up?" works well while tossing meat on a grill. And when tiny butterflies are around? Forget about it!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Dave Douglas

Dave Douglas, one of the most creative and compelling figures in jazz, appears with his group Keystone at The Blue Room on Friday, October 8. Although his most recent project is the Frankenstein-inspired Spark of Being, the music Douglas will perform in Kansas City probably sounds more like this. The soulful rendition of Rufus Wainwright's "This Love Affair" embedded above is indicative of Douglas' expansive aesthetic. Curious listeners are also encouraged to investigate Douglas' Greenleaf Music blog.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Hearne Christopher reports that jazz will soon be featured in a revamped space at the downtown AMC movie theater.

*Dave Brubeck's October 14 concert at The Folly Theater has been cancelled. An appearance by Ellis Marsalis on February 11 replaces Brubeck's date in the venue's jazz series.

*The Star offers a review of Saturday's concert by The Bad Plus at The Folly Theater. And There Stands the Glass took notes at Sunday's performance by The Gang Font at The Record Bar.

*Here's an extremely nice segment on Marilyn Maye from Sue Vicory's Kansas City Jazz & Blues: Past, Present & Future. And here's a new trailer for the film. The documentary will be screened tonight, September 29, at B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ.

*UMKC's archival work on the memorabilia of Claude "Fiddler" Williams is noted by Steve Penn.

*Dude Langford is recalled by KCJazzLark.

*The NFL apparently produced a television spot that features a 1947 song by Kansas City's Julia Lee and Her Boyfriends. NPR's A Blog Supreme made the catch.

*Here's an upsetting jazz-related crime report.

*Kansas City bassist Jeff Harshbarger seems to fit right in with The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey in this gorgeous footage of JFJO collaborating with the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra. The Oklahoma-based band performs October 9 at Jardine's.

*12th Street Jump resumes Friday at the downtown Marriott with a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn.

*The Power & Light District hosts an event titled "The 14th Street Jazz Festival" on October 2. The McFadden Brothers are the only act listed at the "festival."

*Is Geneva Price is the daughter of Priscilla Bowman? A comment "GPrice" made here suggests that it's true. I have an expert investigating the matter, but please leave a comment if you can verify or dismiss this amazing assertion. UPDATE: The expert reports that Geneva is not related to Priscilla. I apologize for the false alarm.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Sons of Brasil: An Appreciation

The skies were cloudy and the breeze was chilly as the Sons of Brasil performed Sunday at the Plaza Art Fair. Even so, I managed to acquire a sunburn as I enjoyed the band's ninety-minute set. Such is the power of suggestion. The ensemble momentarily convinced me that I had been transported to a resort in Rio.

I don't know nearly enough about commercial Brazilian jazz to compare the quality of the Sons of Brasil's music to the works of better-known acts like Azymuth. I can state with absolute certainty, however, that there was no other Kansas City-based band I would rather have heard yesterday morning.

The Sons of Brasil can be as pleasant as the breeziest smooth jazz act. But they're not lightweights. The band's members include several of Kansas City's most respected jazz musicians. It's not necessary to appreciate the band, but careful listening is rewarded. Theirs is music that works at every level.

I don't care if it's an indoor gig- the next time I catch the band I'm bringing suntan lotion.

(Original image of the Sons of Brasil by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: The Gang Font

Because jazz-punk is one of the least-loved of all musical subgenres, I suppose it's no surprise that I didn't know that The Gang Font existed until I read Joe Klopus' latest column. The noisy core of the band consists of Dave King (The Bad Plus), Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü) and Erik Fratzke (Happy Apple). Long before my jazz problem became a serious condition, I grew up listening to Midwestern punk bands like Hüsker Dü. The Gang Font perform Sunday at The Record Bar.