Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

















*If asked to name the definitive song in the history of Kansas City jazz, I'd have to seriously consider the Count Basie Orchestra's rendition of "Li'l Darlin'". It's lovely, lush and unabashedly romantic. Neal Hefti, the composer of the piece, died Saturday.

*Chris Burnett was kind enough to implicitly refute my naysaying in his comment to the previous Plastic Sax post. He posted a photograph of the amazing autographs he snagged during last weekend's Art Blakey tribute at his MySpace blog.

*KCUR interviewed saxophonist Javon Jackson.

*A portion of David Basse's interview for Sue Vicory's forthcoming documentary on Kansas City's jazz and blues scene streams at YouTube.

*I'm not sure that a business feature in the Star gave Basse positive publicity. The money line: "Jazz vocalist David Basse played one of his CDs to help lull Welch to sleep."

*Photographer William Claxton, renowned for his work with jazz artists including Charlie Parker, died last week.

*Upojenie, a collaboration between Pat Metheny and Anna Marie Jopek, was reissued last week. (Found via ContemporaryJazz.com)

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

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