Now's the Time: Frederick Hodges

Frederick Hodges, a man who’s billed as "one of the best concert pianists in the world," will perform at Schmitt Music, a piano store in Overland Park, on Wednesday, September 28.  The concert is presented by Kansas City Ragtime Revelry.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Tony’s Kansas City shares a document that indicates that Anita Dixon, the face of the Mutual Musicians Foundation for the last several years, is no longer associated with the institution.

*The Candido Camero concert on Friday, September 16, has been moved from the Gem Theater to the atrium of the American Jazz Museum and is "now free and open to the public."  Joe Klopus focuses on Candido Camera’s concert at the Gem Theater in his column for The Kansas City Star.

*A handful of jazz-related acts are reviewed in The Kansas City Star’s coverage of the Crossroads Music Fest.

*The Shawnee Mission Post documented the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*KCUR featured a track by Dan Thomas’s Voyage in advance of his band’s appearance at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*The Pitch takes note of Matt Otto’s new weekly jam session.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Julie Doane- Enjoying the jazz band @ Gaslight Grill. This chick is 79 and feeling fine!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: The Jorge Arana Trio- Mammoth

The Record Cabinet, a Kansas City area record store in the 1990s, specialized in obscure recordings of improvised music.  James DeRigne, the shop’s proprietor, embraced Kansas City swing and European prog-rock.  In DeRigne’s world, the rhythms produced by the Basie drummer Jo Jones and the King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford were inextricably linked.  Had he not died in 2008, DeRigne would likely have embraced the Jorge Arana Trio.  The Kansas City based instrumental ensemble creates freak-jazz and math-rock that sounds like the correct solution to a complex equation in which Robert Fripp is divided by Sonny Sharrock.  Mammoth, the Jorge Arana Trio’s astounding new album, contains 30 minutes of hyper-kinetic noise.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Candido

If the advanced age of Candido Camero isn’t the greatest achievement of the 95-year-old native Cuban, his biggest accomplishment might be an extensive recording career that includes sessions with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker and Randy Weston.  The conga master will perform on Friday, September 16, at the Gem Theater, in conjunction with the opening of “Cuba Bound: Photographs,” an exhibition  of images by Jesse A. Fernandez.  My inquiry to the American Jazz Museum about Candido’s backing band has gone unanswered. SEPTEMBER 9 EDIT: From a representative of the American Jazz Museum: "Roberto Marrero will be accompanying Candido when they arrive on 9/15. Roberto is his valet. Other members of the group will be arriving on 9/16 including Candido's manager."

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Klopus previewed the Prairie Village Jazz Festival for The Kansas City Star.  The Pitch recommended Marilyn Maye’s headlining outing at the event.

*The Kansas City Business Journal reported that Kansas City is purchasing properties in the Jazz District.

*Jessie Riggins wrote an overview of the fall jazz agenda.

*Marcus Hampton was interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*Jeff Robinson, the man behind a play about Charlie Parker, was interviewed by Ron Knox.

*Nate Chinen highlighted Bobby Watson’s appearance at Smoke for The New York Times.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Bill Brownlee- 'll discuss second fiddles and the Prairie Village Jazz Festival with @stevekraske on @KCURUpToDate at 11:54 a.m. today.

*Comment o’ the Week: Mike Metheny- My apologies for the "wrath" once upon a time, Bill. I'm happy to report that I've mellowed considerably since the days when I was so full of myself and the master of overreaction and hyperbole. I must also add that my admiration for your skills as a music journalist has been at the highest level for 20-plus years now. Keep up the great work, and thanks for mentioning the new book. mm

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Green on Grand

A quick glance at the September bookings on the Kansas City Jazz Calendar confirms something that’s well known to every working jazz musician and hotel concierge in town: the Green Lady Lounge is Kansas City’s jazz hub.

Sixteen jazz performances are taking place at the Green Lady Lounge this week.  The Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum- Kansas City’s second most prominent jazz venue- presents about sixteen jazz shows in an entire month.

Not only does the Green Lady Lounge feature swing-based jazz by prominent locally based musicians seven nights a week, there’s never a cover charge or an expectation that patrons will order food.  The venue at 1809 Grand Boulevard also gets all the little things right.  The service is excellent and the decor is elegant.

This post isn’t a starry-eyed love letter to the venue.  For starters, I’m allergic to many strains of organ jazz and “happy” jazz tends to make me sad.  Furthermore, oblivious chatterboxes occasionally disrupt sublime performances on both the upstairs and downstairs stages.  

The people who oversee other jazz venues have meekly acquiesced to the dominance of the Green Lady Lounge.  I’d prefer that they rise to the challenge by making improvements inspired by the success of their upstart competitor.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Max Groove

Although the era in which musicians including Kansas City’s Max Groove were promoted by airplay on dozens of terrestrial smooth jazz radio stations is a distant memory, the sound has survived.  Abetted by saxophonist Ernest Melton, Max Groove keeps the faith in the embedded video.  Max Groove performs a matinee show at the Green Lady Lounge on Saturday, Sept. 10.