Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The story behind the release of a new Jay McShann album is documented in an audio feature for KCUR.

*The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra announced its 2019-20 concert season.

*Joe Dimino conducted interviews with Kelley Gant and B.J. Jansen.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Clint Ashlock- Hey @UMKansasCity thanks for booting my car for no permit when I parked for 10 minutes - you just lost thousands of dollars in alumni donations! I’ll never donate to one of your causes again! @UMKCCons

*From a Take Five Productions press release: Musicians For Molly - a Fundraiser. Molly Hammer is a beloved member of our stellar Kansas City jazz community. A stunning vocalist who has continued performing throughout her battle with breast cancer, Molly's fierce determination has inspired us all. Our goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of the night… Featuring nine bands, a jam session and a silent auction... Some of KC's best have volunteered their time for the cause - Boogaloo 7, Sons of Brasil, Brad Gregory Sextet featuring Kelley Gant, Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Alyssa Murray, Project H and the Deshtet featuring Kadesh Flow - and the event will be headlined at 8pm by Texas' own For Now featuring another outstanding female vocalist, Isabel Crespo. Suggested minimum donation of $10 at the door (more is always welcome). This event is all ages. 4 p..m.-midnight Sunday, July 14, at Mod Gallery.

*From a press release: A series of jazz performances titled The Spine Showcases  is kicking off the second half of its 2019 series with a Kickstarter fundraising campaign. Organized by musicians, the series spotlights Kansas City’s emerging jazz composers.  The Spine Showcases launched January 24th, 2019… Performances are scheduled once a month on Thursday nights throughout 2019, beginning at 8:00 pm and concluding by 10:30 pm. The Spine Showcases are not ticketed; cash donations are accepted at the door… Producer and creator Kelley Gant states that “Kansas City is undoubtedly a jazz town. Our current jazz venues are a great place for musicians and audiences, but new and developing music is often too daring and loud or intricate and delicate to work in those rooms. Our series, The Spine Showcases,  is different. The emphasis is on the performance, and our audience comes to engage. We’re trying to build a missing rung on the ladder of opportunity in Kansas City. Where do musicians go to perform when their material is too adventurous to play in a corner of a restaurant, but it’s not polished enough to book at the GEM? Series like The Spine Showcases can fill that gap.”

(Original image of a Jay McShann artifact in an exhibit at the Blue Room by Plastic Sax.)

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