Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

















*Stan Kessler is interviewed by Hunter Long of the Black House Improvisors' Collective. Their illuminating discussion is quite entertaining.

*Good news for the Jazz District! Danny's Big Easy, a Cajun restaurant, is scheduled to open next month in the space most recently occupied by Harper's.

*The hot streak of KCJazzLark continues with a damning editorial about jazz's historical (un)popularity in Kansas City.

*Downbeat compiled a list of the "25 Best Big Band Albums." Count Basie places at #5, #7, #12, #22, and #23.

*Jim Mair reports that Theodore Wilson died March 9. Wilson was the original bassist of The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.

*Marilyn Maye mania continues. The Des Moines Register chimes in here.

*UMKC's LaBudde Special Collections Department received "The David Basse Collection" earlier this year.

*From a press release: "Kansas City Youth Jazz is proud to announce that their top band- Reno Band, has been invited as special guests to participate and perform at the Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey, CA April 9th-12th, 2010." (Tip via AZ.)

*Joe Klopus' latest column focuses on women in jazz.

*AfterGroove will perform at Wisconsin's Great River Jazz Fest in August.

*Doug Ramsey uncovered live footage of Basie's band working through a portion of Kansas City Suite. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra performs the complete work at the Folly Theater on April 30.

*In her latest vlog, Megan Birdsall reinvents the wheel demonstrates how she's putting together her MBird singer-songwriter tour.

*Does anyone remember Josh Charles' time in Kansas City? He now resides in New Orleans. Charles is interviewed here.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

No comments: