Now's the Time: François Rabbath

François Rabbath makes an annual trek to Kansas City to participate in the KC Bass Workshop.  The tone of the corresponding showcases by the French theoretician, 86, is conveyed by the embedded video.  This year’s concert will be held at Grace and Holy Trinity Church on Saturday, June 17.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Pat Metheny has been named a NEA Jazz Master.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Michael Shults- Thanks David and Dee! Always a pleasure to hang and play at @GreenLadyLounge . @smartinjazz is pushing boundaries in Kansas City jazz.

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous- Jazz has a legacy and tradition . It is important for musicians to both be curators and innovators. This music does neither. No opinion on whether it is pleasant entertainment. It is not JAZZ, thus your comparison to jazz is entirely misinformed

*From Kansas City Jazz Alive: Sullivan Fortner is already making a significant impact on the jazz world, even at his young age!  The Cole Porter Fellow in Jazz of the American Pianist Association is joining us in Kansas City to celebrate our native legend, Charlie "Yardbird" Parker.  August 17 - August 26, 2017, the New Orleans native will be performing at venues around Kansas City with local musicians and with a second Artist in Residence!.

(Original image of Max Groove performing at the Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival by Plastic Sax.)

Gently Down the Stream

As I sat behind a camera that was transmitting a live internet broadcast of a performance by the Chris Burnett Quintet at Westport CoffeeHouse last week, I contemplated the validity of the bandleader’s assertion that “this technology will create more performance opportunities for artists in an age where live venues and clubs are not capable of booking all of the artists on the scene today.”

The impulse is commendable.  Given the scarcity of jazz venues and the ostensible tyranny of the owners of some establishments, many musicians are undoubtedly eager to circumvent the existing gatekeepers.  Even so, I wondered if Burnett was delusional for requesting that online viewers pay for the privilege of joining the 18 flesh-and-blood members of the audience in the room during the 30 minutes I spent taking in the first set.  He was competing with a vast universe of free live video content, including feeds on the behemoths Facebook Livestream and YouTube’s Live channel.  Remarkably, Burnett reports that 11 people forked over money to watch the concert online.

I hope Burnett continues the initiative.  For the purposes of Plastic Sax, however, I’m more desirous of shareable footage.  The shortage of well-lit, high-quality performance videos of representatives of Kansas City’s jazz community occasionally results in dubious weekly Now’s the Time posts that inspire derisive commentary from Plastic Sax readers.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: No BS! Brass Band

Tired of lethargic performances by sullen jazz musicians?  No BS! Brass Band will set things right.  The exuberant collective from Virginia entertains on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17, at the Boulevardia festival near Kemper Arena.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The 2017-18 season of the Folly Jazz Series has been announced.  The lineup: Lee Ritenour (October 28), Spanish Harlem Orchestra (December 9), Marcus Roberts Trio (January 19), Cyrille Aimee (February 17), Hot Sardines (March 9) and SFJazz Collective (April 27).

*The Green Lady Lounge will host an album release show for Steve Lambert’s new album Seven Stories on Sunday, June 25.  The saxophonist’s recording features contributions from vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, pianist Andrew Ouellette, bassists Ben Leifer and Dominique Sanders and drummer Brad Williams.

*The Passion of Charlie Parker, a concept album featuring contributions from the likes of Gregory Porter, Donny McCaslin and Kurt Elling, will be released on June 16.

*Jazz in the Woods is highlighted by Joe Klopus in a roundup of the week’s jazz calendar.

*KCUR aired a story about a jazz-themed art collection on display at the Garrison School Cultural Center in Liberty.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Sammy- would like for a kind gentleman to take me to the green lady lounge

*Comment o’ the Week: Michael- I always love it when you write about the music vs. the size of the audience :) I share your sentiments about Hermon and Peter, and have to add that Ryan Lee is absolutely smashing on this record!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Hermon Mehari- Bleu

What’s the definitive sound of Kansas City in 2017?  Obvious candidates include the chiming of streetcars, Tech N9ne’s speed-raps, Bobby Watson’s soulful saxophone solos and the ecstatic roar of 17,000 people cheering for Garth Brooks at the Sprint Center.  The artistically fruitful collaboration between Hermon Mehari and Peter Schlamb is the sound that best exemplifies the town to me.

The trumpeter- the most prominent young jazz musician Kansas City has produced this millennium aside from the saxophonist Logan Richardson- and the vibraphonist Schlamb have been refining their distinctive approach for several years.  The strongest tracks on Mehari’s debut solo album Bleu are extensions of the sound documented on Schlamb’s stunning 2014 album Tinks.

“Tatras,” “Moment’s Notice” and “We Love” encapsulate the vital artistry of the adventurous duo.  The selections’ scattering rhythms and meticulously distorted sounds capture the sense of youthful exuberance that makes their performances highlights of the Kansas City jazz calendar.

Elsewhere, Mehari evokes the tender side of Freddie Hubbard on “Sunset Park” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”  The au courant “Awakening,” a Mehari composition that showcases Richardson, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Ryan Lee, possesses the immediate presence of a Jon Brion production. The band demonstrates its affinity for mainstream jazz on “Our Journey Revisited.”  “Cold” is a neo-soul jam.  While impressive, Bleu’s variety works better as a head-turning resume then as a cohesive artistic statement.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Doc Severinsen

During his 30-year tenure as the bandleader of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” Doc Severinsen may have done more to elevate the profile of jazz than anyone else.  The 89-year-old trumpeter performs with the Kansas City Symphony at Helzberg Hall on Thursday, June 8.