Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Bobby Watson tells J.D. Considine a certain politician is a “jive motherf*cker” in a Downbeat profile.

*Brian Scarborough was interviewed on the Chicago Music Revealed vlog.

*Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s subversive rendering of the 1950 album Charlie Parker with Strings at the 2012 Charlie Parker Festival at Marcus Garvey Park in New York is now available for streaming on YouTube.

*Gary Giddins will lead Joe Lovano, Charles McPherson, Grace Kelly and Antonio Hart in a discussion about Charlie Parker on August 29.

*Tweet of the Week: Howard Reich- Honoring Charlie Parker at his centennial (link)

*From Johnson County Community College: Our Recital Series are online this Fall! Our musicians are on stage right now recording their shows for your entertainment!... Now in their 32nd year, the hour-long recitals feature some of the most respected professional classical and jazz musicians in the Kansas City area… All events for this fall of 2020 will be presented VIRTUALLY with links to the previously recorded broadcast  prior to the events… Sept. 22 Doug Talley Quartet; Sept. 29 Bram Wijnands Duo; Oct. 6 Brian Scarborough Quintet; Oct. 13 Michael McClintock and Jeff Freling, guitars; Oct. 20 Adam Larson Quartet; Oct. 27 Joe Cartwright, piano; Nov. 3 Eclipse

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Brian Scarborough- Sunflower Song

I began tracking the steady ascent of Brian Scarborough even before I snapped the embedded photo of the young Kansas City trombonist at Homer’s Coffee Shop in 2017.  I’ve impatiently anticipated the release of his debut album since catching an astounding performance by Scarborough’s band at recordBar last year.  Released August 7, Sunflower Song is worth the wait.

Not only does the uncommonly elegant album showcase Scarborough’s talents as a trombonist and bandleader, Sunflower Song is an essential document of the artful component of Kansas City’s jazz scene.  In recruiting four of Kansas City’s most notable musicians- tenor saxophonist Matt Otto, guitarist Adam Schlozman, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer Brian Steever- Scarborough is responsible for giving the rest of the world an opportunity to hear the magnificent sounds a small cadre of locally based fans of improvised music have enjoyed in recent years.  

Rather than dominating the nine tracks, Scarborough allows his bandmates equal footing.  The democratic collaboration pays homage to the cool West Coast jazz of the 1950s, an approach allowing Scarborough to honor the adventurous spirit of Bob Brookmeyer.  The late Kansas City native is Scarborough’s most obvious reference point.  The sound may be based on a venerable tradition, but there’s nothing stale about Sunflower Song.  

Serene on the surface, the album is deceptively subversive.  Otto invokes the underappreciated Jimmy Giuffre while Schlozman’s thorny solos reveal the influence of Thelonious Monk.  The stutter-step rhythms of “City Lights” highlight the synchronicity between Harshbarger and Steever.  Scarborough exhibits none of the youthful aggression you’d expect to hear on the debut album of a rising star.  

Immanuel Wilkins’ very fine Omega, the most prominent jazz album released August 7, is characterized by brash solos and innovative production tricks.  That’s clearly not Scarborough’s style.  Yet his reserved sensibility produced one of the most consequential acoustic jazz albums made entirely by Kansas City musicians in recent years.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Wynton Marsalis chatted with Steve Kraske about Rock Chalk Suite on KCUR’s Up To Date.

*Brandon McCray died from a coronavirus-related illness.  The saxophonist was 52.

*Brian Scarborough’s debut album will be released August 7.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Chris Burnett, Jeff Harshbarger and Matt Kane.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Green Lady Lounge- Steve Cardenas - RR (Composer: Steve Cardenas) #Jazz #NowPlaying #KansasCityJazz Green Lady Radio

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: The Brian Scarborough Quintet at RecordBar

Brian Scarborough has arrived.  Once a precocious boy wonder brimming with potential, the trombonist, composer and bandleader proved that he’s joined the ranks of Kansas City’s elite jazz musicians at RecordBar on Sunday, August 18. 

Scarborough possessed the assurance and advanced conception of a musician twice his age as he led a stellar quintet consisting of saxophonist Matt Otto, guitarist Adam Schlozman, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer Brian Steever in a performance of original material.

I wasn’t surprised when he told the dozen people who paid the $5 cover to catch the first set that he’d been listening to Albert Mangelsdorff.  While decidedly thornier than his previous playing, Scarborough’s slightly left-of-center attack wouldn’t have caused conservative devotees of Bob Brookmeyer or J.J. Johnson to squirm.

Focusing solely on Scarborough would be imprudent.  Otto remains the best soloist in town not named Bobby Watson.  And the group’s sophisticated comping was frequently as intriguing as the individual solos.  Scarborough’s rapid evolution suggests that I’m likely to encounter a much different musician the next time I catch him.  I can hardly wait.

(Original image of Adam Scholzman, Brian Scarborough, Matt Otto and Brian Steever by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Brian Scarborough and Chris Hazelton chatted with Joe Dimino.

*A brief preview about Marilyn Maye’s forthcoming concert at Yardley Hall is among The Kansas City Star’s weekly concert recommendations.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Linda Bowlen- Our fundraiser @TheFollyTheater w/ @realOletaAdams has less than 50 seats remaining! Get online and get yours NOW! #Gospel #JazzLovers #KansasCity #philanthropy #fundraising #historicalplace

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The American Jazz Museum has modified the price of tickets to its forthcoming Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival.  Single day tickets were originally $50.  Prospective attendees now have an option to buy $25 main stage tickets and $15 passes to the Blue Room for each day.

*Joe Klopus considered the week in jazz.

*George Benson and Kenny G will perform at Muriel Kauffman Theatre on May 24.

*Hermon Mehari’s Bleu and Iberica, a collaboration between Matt Otto and Alaturka, were released last week.

*Jessie Riggins reviewed the Jazz 100 concert at Yardley Hall.

*KCUR aired a segment on Everette DeVan last week.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Brian Scarborough- Just caught Jazz 100 with @DaniloPerezJAZZ and company. Great music with an incredible lineup! Thanks for stopping in KC! #jazz

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*UMKC recognized Hermon Mehari as an “outstanding” alumnus.

*The Ensemble of Irreproducible Outcomes released Silo City: 20 September 2016 last week.

*From Brian Scarborough: I have been named one of three finalists for the International Trombone Association’s J.J. Johnson Jazz Trombone Competition.  This summer, I will travel to Redlands, California for the live finals round at the 2017 International Trombone Festival.

*A television news team reported on the fire that tore through the Jazz District last week.  The Kansas City Star provided additional information on the status of the damaged buildings.

*Joe Klopus previewed a forthcoming Pieces of a Dream concert at the Gem Theater.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Sigrah- Whiskey neat and jazz in a dark KC club with @onhellmusic and @nataliehandslol this is vibes

*From Paul Shinn: We've got a nice run of shows coming up… I've moved back to KC for a month from Colorado until I'll be moving to NYC Feb. 26th… We will have some new original music to play for you all that we recorded in December of 2016. This music was recorded in a quintet format along with Logan Richardson on saxophone and Gabriel Mervine on trumpet… February 16th--Blue Room; February 17th & 18th--Majestic Restaurant; February 19th 2:30-5:30pm --Green Lady Lounge.

(Original image of a fire-damaged building in the Jazz District by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joe Klopus runs down the week on Kansas City’s jazz scene.

*The Pitch touts Roy Ayers’ appearance at the Blue Room.

*Krystle Warren’s concert at Johnson County Community College was reviewed by Jessie Riggins.

*Doug Auwarter was interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*Shades of Jade’s new release indicates that the band’s dramatic transformation into a neo-soul ensemble has been completed.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Brian Scarborough- 4 hours in the studio with PLBB tonight. Making slow and steady progress on this record. #KCJazz

*From a press release: An original exhibit examining the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on daily life, politics, and the creative process of the arts takes center stage in the Changing Gallery of the American Jazz Museum, June 2-September 30, 2016. Jazz Speaks for Life:  Discovering the Civil Rights Journey through Visual and Musical Expression explores how art and music did their part to break down the barriers of racial discrimination in the 1950s,' 60s, and '70s… Complementary programming features locally renowned jazz performers Bobby Watson (July 8) and Angela Hagenbach (July 21) (and) South African music star Jonathan Butler (September 30).

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Clint Ashlock was featured in a seven-minute segment of KCPT’s Arts Upload program.

*Larry Kopitnik ponders the print medium in a revealing KC Jazz Lark post.

*Mike Metheny’s Twelve For the Road was reviewed for KCUR by Mike Warren.

*The Pitch touts a performance by a band led by Nate Nall.

*Joe Klopus notes Kim Waters’ forthcoming appearance.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Brian Scarborough- Not even 11 AM and I've written and formatted a new tune for BSQ. Looking forward to debuting it next Wednesday! #KCJazz #Journeys

*From Paul Shinn: It's been a while since our trio has been at the Green Lady for an extended run, so we are very excited for this opportunity to provide you all with some new music as well as some older favorites as well! You can find us next weekend at the Green Lady at the following times: Saturday, February 13th 9pm-1am, Sunday, February 14th 530-830pm, Monday, February 15th 8pm-12am.  We are returning in celebration of our new album release entitled Into That Good Night. Funded by a grant received in the summer of 2014, this CD features six new compositions as well as a few select standards.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now’s the Time: The Brian Scarborough Quintet

I raved about the Brian Scarborough Quintet’s outing at Westport CoffeeHouse last month.  A band led by the young trombonist returns to the listening room on Wednesday, January 20.  The ensemble will include Matt Otto and Jeff Harshbarger, elite musicians who are featured alongside Scarborough in the embedded video.

Concert Review: Brian Scarborough Quintet at Westport CoffeeHouse

I’ve been obsessed with Bob Brookmeyer’s Traditionalism Revisited since I purchased the CD at an estate sale for $1 in September.  The premise- a set of forward-thinking jazz musicians revisit the supposedly passé music of earlier decades- is made even more fascinating by the passage of time.  The music still sparkles 58 years after the 1957 session.

I felt as if I was listening to an updated version of Traditionalism Revisited at the Westport CoffeeHouse on Wednesday as the young trombonist Brian Scarborough led a band consisting of saxophonist Rich Wheeler, guitarist Danny Embrey, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer Brandon Draper.

The willingness of four of the region’s elite musicians to back Scarborough reflects his substantial talent and enormous promise.  Like Brookmeyer, Scarborough is a scholarly trombonist with deep ties to Kansas City.

Just as Brookmeyer’s reverent approach to traditional jazz was invigorated by the work of cutting-edge musicians like Jimmy Giuffre on Traditionalism Revisited, Scarborough was provoked by the progressive playing of his more experienced colleagues on Wednesday.  The delectable tension between old and new impulses made the first half of Wednesday’s concert captivating.  A reading of Duke Ellington’s “The Petal of a Rose” was one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in 2015, but the entire first set for an audience of two dozen was profound.

In his liner notes for Traditionalism Revisited, Nat Hentoff suggested that Brookmeyer wasn’t just another commonplace “parochial hipster.”  Neither is Scarborough.  The trombonist leads a similar band at Westport CoffeeHouse on Wednesday, January 20.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Hermon Mehari won the 2015 Carmine Caruso International Trumpet Solo Competition in Huntsville, Texas.

*Bobby Watson was interviewed on a morning television program.

*The Pitch recommends a gig led by Will Matthews.

*The complete schedule of the 18th & Vine Jazz & Blues Festival has been posted.

*A new documentary about Mary Lou Williams inspires an extensive essay about the artist in The New Yorker.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Brian Scarborough- Always love rehearsing and playing with the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater KC. Happy to be playing with them moving forward #kcjazz

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Pitch recommends a gig at The Ship.

*A new one-man show in Seattle depicts a fictional Kansas City-based jazz disc jockey.

*The Kansas City Jazz Summit will be held April 22-24 at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Scarborough- I am excited to share that I am a finalist for the ATW National Jazz Solo Competition in DC this year! Live finals round in DC in March!

*Comment o' the Week: Dean Minderman- Thanks for the link to StLJN's annual list round-up, Bill. Hope your holidays have been relatively stress-free and your New Year is happy!

*From Paul Shinn: It is with great excitement that I would like to announce our trio's return to the Green Lady Lounge as well as the release of our second album entitled Easy Now: Live at the Green Lady Lounge. This album contains eight new selections recorded live on August 11th at the Green Lady… Here are our showtimes for this week: Thursday, January 8th 9pm-12am. Friday, January 9th 9pm-1am. Saturday, January 10th 9:30pm-1:30am. Sunday, January 11th 7:30pm-11:30pm CD Release!!

(Original image of the Charlie Parker residence at 109 W. 34th Street by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Joyce Smith of The Kansas City Star reports on the food and beverage options at the Broadway Jazz Club.

*The shocking history of Paseo Hall is examined by KC Jazz Lark.

*The Pitch recommends Logan Richardson's performance at the Blue Room.

*The New York Times notes the new biographies of Charlie Parker by Stanley Crouch and Chuck Haddix.

*Blog post from Chris Burnett: "You are an artist AND a business".  Burnett also posted his top albums of 2013.

*Jeff Harshbarger is among the participants in The Kansas City Star's year-end top albums list poll.

*Regina Carter will perform at Helzberg Hall on March 23, 2014.

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Scarborough: Just came across this last night. Thanks for the shout out Plastic Sax! #kcjazz

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous: Good post. I with you when you say, "I'm not in the market for a $29 dollar filet mignon or a $12 martini..." me neither. I will gladly pay a reasonable cover charge and buy (reasonable) drinks but they can keep the high priced food.

*From the American Jazz Museum: Convergence in Blue. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle. Thursday, December 12, 2013 • 7 p.m. Blue Room Jazz Club. This special Jazz Showcase in the award-winning Blue Room jazz club will fuse performing and visual artists in spontaneous performance. Three visual artists will be commissioned to create original works as the music evolves in collaboration with the performance work from the jazz artists on the stage. Three separate visual art stations will be created to complement the performance space within the Blue Room, thus giving the audience an intimate connection to the creative process at work.  This event is free and open to the public.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Brian Scarborough

I first took notice of Brian Scarborough a year or two ago.  After the trombonist took a daring solo during a People's Liberation Big Band performance at the RecordBar, I leaned into someone at an adjoining table.

"Who is that kid?" I asked.

If the measure of a man is the company he keeps, Scarborough is a burgeoning giant. 

He performs with Matt Otto, Danny Embrey, Jeff Harshbarger and Brandon Draper in the embedded video.  On Friday, December 6, at Take Five Coffee + Bar, Scarborough will appear a similar lineup of Kansas City's jazz elite.  His band will include Otto, Harshbarger, Draper and T.J. Martley.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The invaluable new site Bobby Watson Speaks contains "Deleted Scenes from A Candid Conversation with Bobby Watson."

*In a damning editorial, KC Jazz Lark characterizes initial plans for the 18th & Vine museum complex as "an oasis ringed by blight."

*Jazz Tokyo offers a seemingly comprehensive look at Chuck Haddix's biography of Charlie Parker.

*A site dedicated to the genealogy and a forthcoming reunion of the Moten family is of interest to Kansas City jazz fans. Here are the pages for Bennie and Buster Moten. (Tip via KC Jazz Lark.)

*Downbeat reviewed Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day.

*A Ted Talk given by Harold O'Neal two months ago is online.

*A preview of a concert featuring Bram Wijnands notes the Dutchman's interesting biography. Chuck Berg reviewed the performance in Topeka.

*Here's another round of 12th Street Jump's "Blues In the News".

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Scarborough- @theprojecth sounded great tonight out at Take Five. Phenomenal playing and writing. Glad I made it out. #kcjazz

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- I wouldn't say nobody wants the AJM, but currently it is less than impressive. I like the Blue Room (part of the AJM) and go once or twice a month. I haven't been in the museum for about three years as there's not much new. I wish the museum would do more special events combining education and performance…

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: (O)ur December is fierce.  Every date but one features an out-of-town artist… We've dubbed it "Homecoming Month".  Friday, December 6, 8 pm:  Brian Scarborough Quintet- Kansas City native composer and trombonist Brian Scarborough is back home from his studies in Chicago and he's bringing a ferocious quintet to take over Take Five: Jeff Harshbarger on bass, Matt Otto on saxophone, TJ Martley on keys and Brandon Draper on drums. $5 cover.  Saturday, December 7, 8 pm:  Clint Ashlock with Ben Markley- Denver pianist Ben Markley… will perform Saturday. Coming down from the mountains with Ben that night is saxophonist Josh Quinlan, instructor of Jazz Studies at the University of Colorado. A powerhouse threesome of Kansas City talent will help us welcome the guests from the west - trumpeter Clint Ashlock, drummer John Kizilarmut and bassist Ben Leifer. $5 cover.

*From a press release: Spirituality & All That Jazz. First Wednesday of every month. Unity Temple on the Plaza Tickets at the door only - $7.00. Children under 16 free. Wednesday, December 4, 2013: Magical Musical Moments with vocalist Bukeka Shoals and Tim Whitmer & The Consort Band. Wednesday, February 5, 2014: The incomparable Joe Cartwright, Pianist with Tim Whitmer & The Consort Band.

*From a press release: Kansas City’s newest jazz destination, The Broadway Jazz Club, officially opens its doors to the public on Friday, Dec. 6 with a grand opening celebration from 4 p.m. – 1 a.m. and an encore celebration scheduled Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. The Broadway Jazz Club is proud to create a destination that is celebrating and reviving Kansas City’s musical roots and rich jazz heritage. The weekend will also introduce the complete menu offerings prepared by The Broadway Jazz Club Chef Richard Martin. Friday, Dec. 6: The Broadway Jazz Club will kick its grand opening into full swing with a full night of live music featuring the Dan Doran Band, a high energy, local KC jump blues and jazz band. A special happy hour with drink specials is planned from 4 – 8 pm. Saturday, Dec. 7: The local jazz celebration continues at The Broadway Jazz Club on Saturday night with the musical talents of local songstress Megan Birdsall from 9pm – 1 am. 

*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.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The "civil and gentle" Green Lady Lounge is featured in a 90-second promotional video.

*The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Bobby Watson's 18th & Vine Big Band are praised by KCJazzLark.

*Roger Wilder reports that his new album will be available later this week.  (Tip via Rick Hellman.)

*A 2012 conversation between Michael Shults and Sam Wisman is streaming in perpetuity.

*Tony Botello casts a cynical eye at development in the Jazz District.

*Here's another edition of 12th Street Jump's "Blues In the News".

*Tweet o' the Week: Brian Scarborough- Next month I will be recording a quintet album of new original music w/ Matt Otto, Danny Embrey, Jeff Harshbarger, & Brandon Draper #kcjazz

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- I'm afraid you'll have to define offering "something to the discourse." I'm pretty sure I was pointing out that the previous post was just an irrelevant digression into someone's boring political views. I attack someone personally because this is the internet and that's what it's for. I bet you secretly like Jazz in the Woods. I bet you like to sit outside in the park and listen to music. I bet you don't care that it sucks because it's easy to ignore and you can distract yourself with the nice scenery, delicious snacks, and pleasant people. I bet you're like that. And it makes me sick.

*From Ryan Heinlein: Some of Kansas City's finest musicians will tackle the newest offering from recording artist, Beck. In lieu of an album, CD or digital download, Beck has released twenty new songs strictly in sheet music format. It is up to the performer to read, learn and interpret the music. Beck will not be recording or releasing these songs…  The following musicians will be performing "Song Reader." Mark Lowrey, Shay Estes, Jeff Harshbarger, Matt Leifer, Jeff Stocks, Dominique Sanders, Ryan Heinlein, Clint Ashlock, Brett Jackson and Bill McKemy.  Mark Lowrey & The Project H Present: Song Reader, 20 New Songs by Beck with special guests Shay Estes and Jeff Harshbarger.  Friday, May 3rd.  Record Bar. $10 cover, ages 18+.  The Project H 10:30pm.  Song Reader 11:30pm.

*From the Kansas City Public Library: Beginning with their regular gig in the Plantation Grill at Kansas City’s Muehlebach Hotel, the Coon-Sanders Nighthawk Orchestra in the 1920s took the Midwest, and then the entire nation, by storm. UMKC jazz expert Chuck Haddix follows the rise and fall of the band that had hit recordings like “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” “When You’re Smiling,” “The Flippity Flop,” “Kansas City Kitty,” “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” “Harlem Madness,” and “What A Girl! What A Night!”  Sunday, April 21, 2013.  2:00pm @ Central Library.  RSVP now!

*From the American Jazz Museum: The American Jazz Museum is pleased to announce the debut performance of internationally renowned jazz great, Bobby Watson’s new “I Have A Dream Band” project in residence at the Blue Room on the corner of historic 18th & Vine in Downtown Kansas City.  Watson’s new band will be performing both, Friday, May 17th and Saturday, May 18th in the Blue Room. Admission is $20 ($15 Students/Seniors) with an 8:30 pm show time each evening. Bobby Watson’s “I Have A Dream Band” features the artistry of Glenn North (spoken word); Hermon Mehari (trumpet/flugel horn); Curtis Lundy (bass); Richard Johnson (piano); Eric Kennedy (drums); and, alto saxophonist, Watson.

*From the American Jazz Museum #2: The American Jazz Museum and MCC Penn Valley are pleased to announce the 2013 18th & Vine/MCC Penn Valley Jazz Festival will be held April 18, 19 and 20 at the historic Gem Theater.  The 2013 festival features performances by middle school, high school and college jazz ensembles ranging from combo groups to large big bands.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City: An Appreciation

Impressed by one of the monthly appearances of the People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City at the RecordBar, a prominent musician recently posted a screed at Facebook.  He suggested that he would no longer tolerate any barroom discussions about Kansas City's best bands that didn't automatically place PLBB in the top slot.  Very few locally-based acts working in any genre, he noted, begin to approach the adventurousness, playfulness and musicianship exhibited by PLBB. 

I concur.  While I'm smitten by a broad array of Kansas City musicians- including the raucous rap of Tech N9ne, the unforgiving thrash of Hammerlord and the exquisite work of Bach Aria Soloists- PLBB's experimental yet accessible sensibility makes it unique. 

The first set at last night's show was no different.  With notables like James Isaac, Matt Otto, Mike Stover and Rich Wheeler in the band, it's a forgone conclusion that the music is going to be imbued with zestful creativity.  Even the subs impressed yesterday.  Andrew Stinson filled in admirably for bassist Jeff Harshbarger while keyboardist Roger Wilder joined the band for the second set in place of the out-of-town bandleader Brad Cox.  Young trombonist Brian Scarborough turned in a fine solo.  In addition to selections by John Zorn and Charles Mingus, the band played memorable original material by Peter Lawless, Otto, Hunter Long, Brad Cox, Patrick Alonzo Conway. 

So how is it that the musicians on the stage outnumbered the members of audience as the first song was played?  The audience swelled to about fifty an hour after the band began, but the lack of support accorded to Kansas City's best act is tragic.  I refuse to accept that the assertion that PLBB's repertoire is too challenging.  The music may be difficult, but it's also really fun.  And the venue certainly isn't the problem.  The RecordBar has good food, friendly service and reasonably-priced drinks.

I realize I'm preaching to the choir here at Plastic Sax, but I implore music lovers of all stripes to do themselves a favor by spending $5 to see PLBB at the RecordBar at 8 p.m. on July 1.

(Original unrelated image by Plastic Sax.)