Album Review: Guitar Elation- Double Live at Green Lady Lounge

Acquisition of the vinyl version of Double Live at Green Lady Lounge comes with a quandary.  Do listeners restrain themselves to avoid marring the two gorgeous alabaster platters, or do they accede to the mandate of Guitar Elation’s robust twist on organ jazz and let loose while enjoying the new release on their home stereos?

As I recently suggested in The Kansas City Star, "(t)he rousing recording documents the hard-grooving attack of the quartet on original compositions like “Funkshun Junkshun.”  Guitarists Brian Baggett and Danny Embrey trade astounding solos over Ken Lovern’s funky organ riffs and the impeccable grooves laid down by the internationally renowned straight-ahead jazz drummer Todd Strait."

The memorable melodies and aggressive solos are captured in an appropriately brawny sound field.  Full of vim and vigor, there’s nothing polite about the set recorded on August 10, 2017.  The delectable tension experienced by vinyl aficionados is mirrored by intriguing dynamics within the group.  Not only do the guitarists engage in friendly duals, Lovern and Bagget exhibit rock inclinations while Strait and Embrey are more closely rooted to the jazz tradition.  The divergence elevates Double Live at the Green Lady from run-of-the-mill organ jazz. 

The most appropriate response to the album is punching the volume knob to facilitate unhinged dance parties.  A raucous soundtrack to spilled drinks, bad decisions and day-after regrets, Double Live at the Green Lady is the next best thing to spending a carefree Thursday night at Kansas City’s most vital jazz club. 

The album release show for Double Live at Green Lady Lounge is Thursday, February 6.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: OJT- New Originals for the Green Lady

“Lamanai”, the stellar track that opens New Originals for the Green Lady, suggests that the Kansas City trio OJT has developed an intriguing new approach to organ jazz.  Organist Ken Lovern twines the styles of prog-rock keyboardists like Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson with the approaches of jazz giants such as Jimmy McGriff and Richard “Groove” Holmes.  Guitarist Brian Baggett and Kevin Frazee help Lovern gradually morph “Lamanai” from rock pomp into a Southern rock jam worthy of the Allman Brothers Band.

Alas, OJT backtracks from the bold opening salvo.   The subsequent selections on its fourth album New Originals for the Green Lady are in the established organ jazz traditions that range from vintage Jimmy Smith through John Scofield’s collaborations with Medeski Martin & Wood.  While not particularly innovative, the final seven tracks are unflaggingly groovy. 

It’s the kind of feel-good party music associated with Green Lady Lounge.  OJT honed the uncommon cohesion it demonstrates on New Originals for the Green Lady by playing at Kansas City’s most successful jazz venue every Wednesday for years.  On “Lamanai,” however, OJT transcends those influences to forge a fresh new sound, a breakthrough that the group would do well to pursue on its next recording.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: OJT- New Standards for the Green Lady

I’m entirely in favor of the concept of new jazz standards.

Not only do I race to the exit every time a band launches into “Kansas City,” I don’t ever need to hear “In a Mellow Tone,” “The Girl From Ipanema” or “Satin Doll” again.

The intentions of the organ trio of Ken Lovern, Brian Baggett and Kevin Frazee on the new OJT album New Standards for the Green Lady Lounge are commendable. 

The playing and arrangements of the de facto house band of the Green Lady Lounge are also excellent.  Unfortunately, I don’t care for much of their repertoire.

I’ve already heard Lennon-McCartney’s “Eleanor Rigby,” Clapton-Gordon’s “Layla” and Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” far too many times to embrace OJT’s interpretations of the songs as my new jazz standards.

Less familiar material including the Grateful Dead’s “West LA Fadeaway” and a pair of relatively obscure Steely Dan tracks, consequently, are more appealing.  The freshest cover is a version of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”

I prefer contemporary compositions to the classic rock favored by OJT. 

Mark Lowrey’s interpretation of the Republic Tigers' ”Buildings and Mountains” is exquisite.  Robert Glasper’s rendition of Jhené Aiko's 2014 hit ”The Worst” is also astounding. 

Recent material by Alabama Shakes, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean and Charlie Wilson offers similar promise as potential new jazz standards.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: Dojo at the Green Lady Lounge

I attended the first set of a performance by Dojo last week partly because I was curious to discover how loud it would get at the Green Lady Lounge.

The decibel level- potent but not painful- was just right.

Brian Baggett shredded.  An appealing combination of Grant Green, Allan Holdsworth and Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist is a technical monster.

I already knew that Baggett was a master musician, but the fluidity of bassist Chris Handley floored me.  Ridiculously accomplished, Handley’s playing was almost as speedy as Baggett’s.  Drummer Luke Stone rounded out the ensemble.

As suggested in Plastic Sax’s review of Dojo’s 2013 album Road Trip, the trio plays propulsive fusion.  Here’s representative footage from a January show at the Green Lady Lounge.

About 25 people attended the set.  That’s not bad for a Tuesday night.  Even so, I know that there are thousands more fusion and metal fans in the area who would lose their minds if exposed to Baggett’s aggressive attack with Dojo.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark appraises Kansas City's jazz scene.

*Musicians share their thoughts about the late Tommy Ruskin with Neon Jazz.

*Demencha magazine interviewed Dominique Sanders about his new album.

*A blogger takes note of a performance by guitarists Charles Gatschet and Matt Hopper. 

*The Pitch touts Horacescope's gig at the Blue Room.

*Joyce Smith reports that vocalist Darcus Gates will open a "supper club" named Dash in May.

*Rudresh Mahanthappa's Bird Calls, an album on which "each track is directly based on a Parker composition or solo," will be released next month.

*Tweet o' the Week: Hermon Mehari- Playing in NYC tonight with Matt Brewer (bass), Craig Weinrib (drums), and Tony Tixier (piano) at Somethin Jazz Club from 9-10:45!

*Comment o' the Week: - Brian Baggett- Maybe Marilyn would like to do some VH covers with DŌJŌ?

*After years of neglect, the dead and dormant links in the blogroll have been cleared out.  Please let me know if you have a proper (non-Facebook/ReverbNation) site that merits inclusion.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Dojo

Dojo, a power trio led by guitarist Brian Baggett, makes a rare appearance at the Green Lady Lounge on Tuesday, January 13.  Plastic Sax reviewed the fusion band's impressive Road Trip album a year ago.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Klopus crafted an invaluable summary of Nathan Davis' career.  The native of Kansas City, Kansas, performs at the Gem Theater on Saturday.

*A celebration of the life of Dionne Jeroue was documented by KCJazzLark.

*Bobby Watson discusses Horizon with a Pennsylvania-based journalist.  The publication gave the band's concert a rave review.

*Black House shares a blooper reel.

*The Pitch advises readers of the Sons' of Brasil's regular gigs at Broadway Jazz Club.

*The Jazz Journalists Association named Jon Poses of Columbia, Missouri, a "jazz hero".

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Baggett- I like metronomes. Good times!

*From a press release: Kansas City based group Diverse is preparing to release their second album in early May. “Our Journey” is a project of all original jazz music that was recorded in Paris, France, and features the core members Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Ryan Lee on drums, and Ben Leifer on the bass. Parisian pianist Tony Tixier augments the ensemble throughout and special guest alto saxophonist Logan Richardson plays on a few numbers. Diverse will celebrate the release of this album at the Blue Room in Kansas City on May 9th… It will feature the core members and pianist Tony Tixier who will be flown in from Paris. Start time is 8:30 PM with a $10 admission.

*I've been surprised and delighted to receive a few complaints regarding my failure to update the Kansas City Jazz Calendar.  I apologize.  I hope to fulfill my obligations soon.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*An "Everette DeVan Jazz Benefit" will be held Monday, February 24, at Broadway Jazz Club.  Dionne Jeroue initiated a related fundraising campaign on behalf of the ailing organist.

*Kevin Whitehead reviewed Frank Wess' posthumous Magic 201 for NPR's "Fresh Air."

*Hunter Long of Black House Collective is interviewed by Drew Williams of the Wing Walker Music podcast.

*The first night of January's Jazz Winterlude festival is documented in photos by KC Jazz Lark.

*Bobby Watson was interviewed in advance of his appearance at the Portland Jazz Festival.

*The National Portrait Gallery suggests that Lester Young was the first "cool" American.

*Guitarist Brian Baggett created an infomercial for his instructional DVD.

*T.J. Martley created a video transcription of a Herbie Hancock solo.

*Magnet offers an MP3 of a track from the Mike Dillon Band's forthcoming album.

*The Kansas City Star published a story about the Marr Sound Archives.

*Dean Minderman of St. Louis Jazz Notes recognizes the passing of Richard McDonnell, the founder of the MaxJazz label.

*Tweet o' the Week: Green Lady Lounge- Mon Feb 24th we'll be closed 2 better focus the KC "Jazz Love-Laser" on Everette DeVan's benefit party ~ 7pm-1am Broadway Jazz Cub.

*Comment o' the Week: Cb- Genius. One of my personal favorite. musicians. ever.

*From Tim Whitmer: Community Christian Church... is pleased to host the inaugural presentation of the very first Big Band Boogie Bash, with Tim Whitmer presenting the one and only Vine Street Rumble Jazz Orchestra, as they honor the legacy of Kansas City’s “Golden Era” of world renowned Jazz, on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at 4:00 p.m.  The Vine Street Rumble performs exclusively the same exciting music that made Kansas City “the” place to be in the 1930’s, 40’s and beyond… Tickets are $10 (prior to the concert), $15 (at the door)...

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Dojo- Road Trip

I don't subscribe to the notion of guilty pleasures.  I freely admit my affection for scads of unfashionable music, ranging from the lewd hip-hop of Tech N9ne to the prog-rock of 1970s-era Genesis. 

Perhaps no style of music is more out of favor than jazz fusion.  Jazz purists detest it while most of the rock audience pretends the form doesn't exist.  Road Trip, the new album by Dojo, is destined to be ignored by most mainstream outlets.  It's a shame.  Road Trip deserves an audience beyond the habitués of guitar shops.

The ensemble led by the Lawrence-based guitarist Brian Baggett has crafted an album that's both technically masterful and eminently enjoyable. 

While rooted in the era in which fusion giants like Allan Holdsworth and Billy Cobham ruled the earth, Road Trip isn't defined by nostalgia.  The influence of metal-oriented bands like Dream Theater and a trace of Metallica-style thrash can be detected in several selections while "In Times Like These" contains electronic bleeps and blurts.

Baggett's work is complimented by a pleasing variety of moods and textures.  Rather than sounding like a series of long guitar solos, each track on the album possesses a unique disposition.  Baggett's solos, while unrepentantly ostentatious, rarely impede the forward momentum of the melodies.  Bassists Chris Handley and Jeff Harshbarger and drummer Luke Stone provide a solid foundation for Baggett's explorations.

Let the cool kids have their fun.  If appreciating Dojo's powerful jazz fusion is wrong, I don't want to be right.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark assesses the prospects of the Broadway Jazz Club.

*The seasonal song Mark Lowrey and Herman Mehari contributed to a Midwestern Music Foundation campaign was documented on video.

*Crosscurrent previews a January 23 date at the Blue Room.

*The Pitch highlights an upcoming performance by Brett Jackson at Take Five Coffee.

*A critic calls a selection on Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day "endlessly fascinating" in a review of the album.

*Dean Minderman of St. Louis Jazz Notes published a handy "Best Jazz of 2013" compendium of lists.

*A television station reported on an odd incident at Take Five Coffee.

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Baggett- @theprojecth I'm done calling clubs. I'm just going to practice and wait for them to call me and/or play sideman gigs. Focus on the music.

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Guitarist Brian Baggett is the latest area jazz musician to be interviewed by Joe Dimino on Neon Jazz.

*Vine Street Rumble made a television appearance.

*The Kansas City Star reports on a possible new museum dedicated to Negro league baseball in Birmingham, Alabama.  The institution would ostensibly compete for funding and artifacts with Kansas City's Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.  The adjoining American Jazz Museum already faces competition from entities including The Jazz Museum in Harlem.

*The author of a letter recalls an encounter with the late John Elliott.

*The Pitch plugs a performance by the Bram Wijnands Swingtet.

*Jazz pianist Paul Smith has died.  Thankfully for the regional jazz scene, the Kansas City jazz pianist Paul Smith is still very much alive.

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Scarborough- Standing room only at The Record Bar tonight for People's Liberation Big Band. Great music, great crowd, great band. #kcjazz #fivemoreyears

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- I could care less what Stanley Crouch has to say about Charlie Parker. I'm way more interested to read the new Parker bio coming out by Kansas City's own Chuck Haddix!

*Via Anita Dixon regarding The Foundation Big Band: Come hear a fresh new big band in Kansas City's original home for jazz: The Mutual Musician's Foundation.  The band, comprised of KC-area musicians, will perform original works as well as staples of the big band repertoire, including tunes from the Count Basie Orchestra - the lead purveyors of the KC big band sound.  $5 cover goes to the musicians. Come be a part of a new thang in a historic place. (Wednesday, July 10, 7:30 p.m.)

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Brian Baggett Trio- 2012

2012?  More like 1962.  That was my inital reaction upon downloading the new release by the Brian Baggett Trio.  A mainstream guitar trio in the Jim Hall tradition with standards like "God Bless the Child," "Angel Eyes" and "Stella By Starlight" seemed like a pointless anachronism.  Even so, I found myself repeatedly turning to the project as I worked at my computer. 

At first blush, 2012 seemed like little more than sedate background music.  Then I began noticing hip details.  Baggett's introductory passage to "The Days of Wine and Roses" alludes to his searing fusion and jazz-rock work.  He also threatens to break into a Pat Metheny-style jam on "Angel Eyes."

The album really opened up to me when I began listening to it on headphones.  It's beautifully recorded.   While Baggett isn't attempting to break any new ground, careful listening uncovers plenty of advanced concepts.  Perhaps most significantly, bassist Bill McKemy is incapable of being boring.  Drummer Tom Morgan, an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Percussion Studies at Washburn University, swings with admirable subtlety.

The 45-minute album is available as a free download at Bandcamp through October.  It's also available at CD Baby, iTunes and Spotify.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Kansas City Star offers a review of the Kansas City's Jazz Orchestra's debut performance at Helzberg Hall.

*Steve Kraske interviewed Kevin Mahogany on KCUR's Up to Date.

*Outside Inside Out critiques Become Light by the Project H.

*A new recording by Brian Baggett's trio is available as a free download at Bandcamp.

*The Kansas City Business Journal provides details about the Kill Devil Club, including the venue's hours and cover policy.

*KCJazzLark provides a recap of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*David Hudnall's review of Hearts of Darkness' Shelf Life suggests that the band is " a meaningful, modern link to KC's jazz heritage."

*Chris Burnett offers a tease of a new composition titled "Analog Networking."

*UMKC's student newspaper attempts to inform students about Kansas City's jazz district.

*I got in over my head while messing around at the domain settings of this site's host, inadvertently making Plastic Sax difficult to locate for some readers.   I apologize.   I'm working on a fix.

*Tweet o' the Week: KCJazzConnxn- Sigh... Brian McKnight is the headliner at the KC Rhythm and Ribs Festival? That's messed up. #kcjazz

*Comment o' the Week: Cb- I totally agree with your assessment of Bill McKemy's forward-thinking approach to music and this release as leader, HIB. This recording was among those that struck me as deserving of wider recognition when I first returned home to the KC metro to live.

*From Jim Mair on behalf of Kansas City Kansas Community College: The Everette DeVan Quartet featuring vocalist Eboni Fondren will kick off a new monthly “Jazz by the Lake” noon-time concert series at Kansas City Kansas Community College Thursday, Oct. 4.  A series of six concerts featuring some of Kansas City’s most famous jazz artists, the performances will be held from noon-1 p.m. in the Conference Center adjacent to the Campus Lake on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue…  The remainder of the schedule:
Thursday November 1- Bram Wijnands Trio
Thursday December 6- Joe Cartwright Trio
Thursday February 7- Diverse
Thursday March 7- Chris Hazelton and Friends
Thursday April 4- Tim Whitmer

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)