*The announcement of this year's Jazz Journalists Awards confirmed the acumen of Kansas City's jazz presenters. Esperanza Spalding (Up & Coming Artist of the Year)- floored me at the Folly Theater last month. Terence Blanchard (Trumpeter of the Year) played the Folly in April. Lee Konitz (Lifetime Achievement In Jazz) and Bill Frisell (Guitarist of the Year) performed together at the Folly in 2006. The Blue Room has featured Dr. Lonnie Smith (Organist of the Year) both this year and in 2007. And the SF Jazz Collective (Small Ensemble Group of the Year) played the Gem Theater in 2007. Other local connections include Basie alumni Frank Wess (Flutist of the Year) and The Lester Young/Count Basie Sessions 1936-40 (Historical Recording Box Set).
*Rex Reed stays on the Marilyn Maye bandwagon. (Tip via Lee.)
*Joe Klopus implores jazz fans to support the scene.
*The Rest of the Story: Jazz History and Improvisation, a manual by saxophonist Alaadeen, was recently published. Here's Bobby Watson's blurb: "With this book, Alaadeen has opened the door to the complex mind of the jazz musician."
*I'm not sure what to make of Tony's Kansas City's assessment of the previous Plastic Sax post. That's ok- I'm not quite sure of what I was trying to say either.
*Last weekend's jazz festival in Saint Joseph was previewed by the St. Joe News.
*Andrew Zender shares his deep appreciation for Palmetto Records. Bobby Watson is part of the jazz label's roster.
*The reissue of Pat Metheny's One Quiet Night received a good review.
*The Jazz District has two new not-for-profit tenants.
*Here's an amusingly awkward video interview with Beena Rajalekshimi of Jardine's.
*Yours truly will participate in a discussion about the state of jazz in Kansas City on KCUR's Up To Date Thursday.
(Original image by Plastic Sax. This is the interminable line to enter last week's big
thanks for the nod, PS. i was a little excited at first at the prospect of a reissue of "one quiet night," but it appears that it only has one bonus track...was hoping for a bit more. that disc, and metheny's duet CD w/jim hall are, in my humble opinion, two of the best representations of metheny's talent where it is all about the guitar work. they're not drowned in synths.
ReplyDeletei see a pattern here with your photo posts.
You're welcome, AZ. I've been enjoying Jim Hall's early work with Jimmy Giuffre lately. Genius.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for noticing the photos. I was inordinately pleased to capture the exact same shot at Summer Jam and Red, White & Boom.