There's still plenty of live music to be experienced in 2013. Logan Richardson is returning to Kansas City in a few weeks. And I intend to make the Green Lady Lounge my home away from home in December. Even so, 2013 has already been an immensely rewarding year for jazz fans. Here are two lists of the performances I enjoyed most.
Locally-based musicians
1. The People's Liberation Big Band- RecordBar
2. Lisa Henry- The Conference Center at Kansas City Kansas Community College
3. Matt Otto/Ben Pinder Quartet- Westport Coffee House
4. Jeff Harshbarger Quartet- Take Five Coffee
5. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra with Randy Brecker- Helzberg Hall
6. Rich Wheeler Quartet- Take Five Coffee
7. Vine Street Rumble- Gem Theater
8. Alaturka- Recital Hall at the Carlsen Center
9. Mark Lowrey, Bob Bowman and Sam Wisman- The Majestic
10. Andy McGhie Quartet- Prairie Village Jazz Festival
Touring musicians
1. Julian Lage and Jorge Roeder- Yardley Hall
2. Miguel Zenón and the Rhythm Collective- Blue Room
3. Kurt Elling- Gem Theater
4. Dave Douglas Quintet- Blue Room
5. Eliane Elias Trio- Folly Theater
6. Jerry Dodgion with Rob Scheps- Take Five Coffee
7. James Carter- Folly Theater
8. Caroline Davis- Green Lady Lounge
9. Kenny Barron Trio- Folly Theater
10. Kenny Garrett- Folly Theater
(Original image by Plastic Sax.)
I think it's a shame you feel the need separate the local from the touring. Hold everyone to the same standard and stop stacking the deck for local players. Of course if your standard is simply listing as many musicians as you can, by all means keep doing that.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you mentioned seeing a dinner gig at the Majestic as one of your top shows? Gotta shoe-horn in Mark Lowry I suppose.
The fact that you don't include dates is the big give away that you're just listing people. PLBB at the RecordBar? They play every month and their shows vary in quality depending on whose there and what the material was.
Truly a facile and completely meaningless list.
So anonymous 11:01am...as soon as you learn to spell, can we all expect you to begin publishing your own blog dedicated to Jazz in KC and a subsequent list of favorite performances?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newear.org/musicians/mark-lowry
http://www.marklowreymusic.com/
http://www.scholastic.com/scopemagazine/pdfs/SCOPE-050613-Grammar-Who_sWhose.pdf
I apologize for the typos.
ReplyDeleteNice links though. Now I'm convinced I was wrong because of them.
Anonymous 3:27,
ReplyDeleteYou're using your superior intellect to prove what?
That they're those who wish their ego was bigger than what you see there on the page?
see what i did? pulling out the militant grammar card is the refuge of trolls and the insecure...
flame away...
You're right Wolfgang and I apologize to Anon 11:01am. Being a snarky grammar snob isn't productive...it hurt the point I was trying to make:
ReplyDeletePlasticSax goes to a ton of shows (jazz or otherwise), and seems to examine the scene/music honestly and as comprehensively as he can given the pro bono nature of blogging.
Disagreeing is one thing, but calling it "facile and meaningless" seems unfair and disrespectful...but I guess that's what comment sections are all about. -Livesinglasshouse
We jazz fans are a snarky bunch. Most all comments on this site, and others, are negative and whinny. I love the music but hate the audience.
ReplyDelete