Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Kansas City Star reports on the closing of Californos, a sprawling restaurant complex that once hosted about a dozen jazz performances each month.

*Lawrence Leathers, a drummer with connections to Kansas City, has died.

*Thirty-eight minutes of raw footage documenting last weekend’s American Jazz Walk of Fame induction ceremony streams at YouTube.

*Tweet o’ the Week: McGill University- At yesterday’s #McGillGrad ceremony for Music, a Doctor of Music, honoris causa was conferred on Pat Metheny, an accomplished musician and pioneer in the realm of modern improvised music.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Marbin

The members of the  jazz-rock band Marbin are committed road warriors.  The itinerant Chicago based band regularly visits Kansas City.  Marbin will showcase material from its forthcoming album Israeli Jazz on Monday, February 26, at Californos.  The comprehensive Kansas City Jazz Calendar lists hundreds of additional performances.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Eddie Moore will lead a new weekly jam session at Californos.  The first session is slated for Wednesday, November 9.

*Joe Klopus highlights Helen Sung’s return to Kansas City in his weekly column.

*Tim Finn reports that Molly Hammer was a beneficiary of a medical-related grant from the Midwest Music Foundation.

*The Shawnee Mission Post reports that this year’s Prairie Village Jazz Festival “generated $10,000 in revenue."

*A blogger praises a Marilyn Maye performance at Quality Hill Playhouse.

*KCUR documented the creation of a socially-conscious mural at the American Jazz Museum.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Dominique Sanders- And people wonder why black people still talk about racism

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Fabricating a Festival

The transmutation of Jazz in the Woods into SoJo Summerfest is a disheartening blow to the jazz community.  Details about the 2016 editions of the one-day events The Prairie Village Jazz Festival and The 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival are still under wraps.

Neglected jazz aficionados in Kansas City have been provided with plenty of reasons to eye the ambitious lineups of  large-scale, multi-day festivals in Chicago, Detroit and Iowa City.

Kansas Citians needn’t succumb to wanderlust.  With careful planning and a willingness to bar-hop, it’s possible to fashion makeshift jazz festivals.  That’s what I did on the opening night of Ink’s Middle of the Map Fest.   The four-day music portion of the festival has an indie-rock orientation, but I managed to catch three engaging left-of-center jazz sets on Wednesday.

The Jorge Arana Trio evoked the abrasive electric jazz associated with the late Sonny Sharrock at Mills Record Company.  The quartet of vocalist Annie Ellicott, the modified instrument master Mark Southerland, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer John Kizilarmut veered between conventional jazz standards and wild flights of fancy at Californos.  Backed by elite musicians including keyboardist Brad Cox and guitarist Beau Bledsoe, the former Kansas City resident Krystle Warren performed a compelling blend of folk, gospel and jazz at the same venue. 

Devotees of small jazz ensembles could make a full night of sampling the offerings at the cocktail lounges of restaurants including The American, Cafe Trio, Chaz and Sullivan’s.  People who prefer not to drive could partake of the miniature festival that transpires at Green Lady Lounge every weekend.

Still not satisfied?  The three-day festival in the jazz capital of Iowa City features performances by bands led by heavy hitters including Edmar Castaneda, Vijay Iyer, Allison Miller, Poncho Sanchez and Miguel Zenón.  I may see you there.

(Original image of Krystle Warren and Brad Cox by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Krystle Warren

Krystle Warren is returning to her hometown of Kansas City for a pair of highly anticipated concerts.  The jazz/folk/rock artist will perform at Californos on Wednesday, May 4, as part of Ink’s Middle of the Map Fest, and at Polsky Theatre on Wednesday, May 25.

Now's the Time: Brian Holland and Danny Coots

I’ve unintentionally snubbed Kansas City Ragtime Revelry for years.  The ragtime advocacy group hadn’t on my radar and none of its members have ever reached out to me.  The organization is presenting a concert by Brian Holland and Danny Coots on Wednesday, April 13, at Californos.

Now's the Time: Dalton Ridenhour

While ragtime gets short shrift at Plastic Sax, Kansas City Ragtime Revelry has been steadfastly promoting the form for over 20 years.  The group will present a performance by pianist Dalton Ridenhour on Thursday, February 5, at Californos.