Exhibit Review: Saxophone Supreme at the American Jazz Museum

Chuck Haddix recently told me the Saxophone Supreme exhibit at the American Jazz Museum is like a CliffsNotes version of his 2013 book Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker.  (Plastic Sax review.)  A recent examination of the new installation Haddix co-curated with the American Jazz Museum’s Geri Sanders confirms his assessment.

Anchored by twelve handsome panels designed by Sean McCue of UMKC Libraries, Saxophone Supreme is a three-dimensional rendering of Haddix’s text.  Ephemera including album covers, biographies, performance contracts, artistic renderings and a menu from the second version of Birdland are displayed.  Several interactive sound clips are useful for visitors who bring their own headphones.  Here’s a link to a rendition of “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”.  Haddix tells me it's otherwise unavailable.

I wholeheartedly recommend Saxophone Supreme to anyone who knows little about Parker.  Admission is free.  Yet nothing in the exhibit is new to me, nor does the array of artifacts deepen my understanding of Bird.  An edition of CliffsNotes can be an indispensable tool for an apprehensive student.  But when it comes to Parker, I insist on complete and unabridged editions in the form of a biographies such as Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Teach Me Tonight

Stan Kessler, Plastic Sax’s Person of the Year in 2014, Larry Kopitnik, Plastic Sax’s Person of the Year in 2015, and author and radio personality Chuck Haddix are interviewed in a new three-minute feature about Kansas City jazz.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Chuck Haddix and Gerald Spaits discussed Jay McShann’s legacy on KCUR’s Up To Date.  KCUR’s weekly Local Listen segment featured McShann.  Champian Fulton paid tribute to the Kansas City icon.

*The Pitch touts a series of Brett Jackson performances at the Green Lady Lounge.

*John Hilderbrand acknowledges the twentieth anniversary of his Contemporary Jazz site.

*The Kansas City Star listed  Charlie Parker as one of the ten greatest Kansas Citians.

*Marilyn Maye plays Coachella (Valley).

*Tweet o’ the Week: Ça Va- Make reservations for Valentine's weekend! @KCTrumpeter will be setting the mood Thursday-Saturday. Email caitlin@cavakc.com for details xo

*From Ron Carlson: Announcing a new organization to promote jazz music - the Kansas City Jazz Workshop.  The mission of the Kansas City Jazz Workshop is to offer jazz music concerts and clinics in order to promote, document and record expressions of this creative art form.  A concert series in March honoring Women in Jazz and several recording projects are underway.  For more information about the Kansas City Jazz Workshop, LLC, contact Ron Carlson at ronaldwcarlson(at)att.net.  The Kansas City Jazz Workshop presents a 2016 Women in Jazz Series at The Art Factory: March 4th, Alyssa Murray Trio; March 11th, Diana Herold Quartet; March 18th, Laura Caviani Duo.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: The Jay McShann Centennial Birthday Bash at the Gem Theater

Frequent opportunities to catch Jay McShann playing in informal settings was one of the most delightful aspects of life in Kansas City in the 1980s and 1990s.  It’s odd but inevitable, consequently, that the last two prominent McShann-related events in the area have been orderly affairs.

The Gem Theater hosted Saturday’s Jay McShann Centennial Birthday Bash.  The public wake for the Kansas City icon was held at the same venue in 2006.  Last weekend’s concert featured three strong performances, a historic overview and a presentation to McShann’s family.

Although catching the entirety of the 35-minute opening set by a band led by pianist Joe Cartwright meant missing the conclusion of the Chiefs’ playoff game, most members of the audience of more than 400 were in their seats to hear the band that also included violinist Adam Galblum, guitarist Rod Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Todd Strait.  Contributions from guest vocalists Duck Warner, Everette Freeman, David Basse and Lisa Henry provided the evening’s most faithful evocation of McShann’s earthy approach.

“They didn't leave me any blues up here at all,” Benny Green said at the top of his 40-minute solo appearance. The pianist’s elaborate playing was often antithetical to McShann’s style, but the incongruity was forgotten during a virtuosic 40-minute performance that included renditions of material by Cedar Walton and Horace Silver.

A rousing hour-long set by Bobby Watson’s big band provided an appropriate conclusion to the concert. 

Opening remarks by historian Chuck Haddix and a presentation by Ralph Reid of the American Jazz Museum (pictured) rounded out an event that served as a fitting if somewhat inhibited tribute to Hootie.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Video Review: Kansas City & All That Jazz

As “Kansas City & All That Jazz” aired on KSHB on September, a friend who listens primarily to punk rock sent me an enthusiastic series of  texts about the broadcast.  He loved the documentary and admitted that most of the information it imparted was new to him. 

The 55-minute program has been sitting on my DVR since the initial broadcast but I only recently got around to watching it.  “Kansas City & All That Jazz” is a slick if somewhat dry effort that tracks the development of Kansas City jazz.  A heavy emphasis is placed on the role played by the Mutual Musicians Foundation.  The production values are first-rate and the pacing is commendable.

Ken Burns-style pans over sepia-toned photos are interspersed with interviews with Bobby Watson, Chuck Haddix, Sonny Gibson, Anita Dixon, Jamey Aebersold, Dr. Larry Ridley and James Hathaway.  Musicians featured in a jam session at the Foundation include Ryan Thielman, Ernest Melton, DeAndre Manning, Chris Clarke and Lonnie McFadden.

Devoted readers of Plastic Sax are unlikely to learn anything new, but “Kansas City & All That Jazz” is essential viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in the history in jazz or in the cultural significance of Kansas City.

The production doesn’t appear to be available for purchase (it would have made a great holiday gift), but the documentary certainly merits more than 600 views at YouTube.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Parker Party Pooper

I didn’t expect anything to come of the provocative question I scribbled on a notecard at the first event of this year’s Charlie Parker Celebration last Thursday.  At best, I hoped panel moderator Bill McKemy would privately smirk at its impertinence.

Yet McKemy bravely selected my contribution as the final question posed at a discussion titled “Bop Lives” in the foyer of the American Jazz Museum:

“When the overwhelming majority of people don’t know about brilliant contemporary players like Miguel Zenón, Rudresh Mahanthappa or Joe Lovano, why should they care about Charlie Parker?”

The panel consisting of author and radio personality Chuck Haddix, trumpeter Clay Jenkins and jazz scholar Scott DeVeaux sat in stunned silence for several seconds after the question was posed.  A few of the 75 people at Thursday’s function- less than ten were under the age of 30- gasped at its insolence.

Haddix eventually responded with a declaration about the importance of jazz radio programming.  DeVeaux suggested that education was the key to helping the public appreciate Parker.  Jenkins said nothing.

I don’t have an adequate answer either- the question was rhetorical. 

The three saxophonists I cited recently recorded or performed stellar Parker tributes.  Their art has been roundly ignored outside of the tiny jazz echo chamber.  Witnessing mildly panicked concertgoers rush from the grounds of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival as Lovano played Parker in 2014 was a clear indication that exposure isn’t the solution.

I could formulate an optimistic response based on Kendrick Lamar’s magnificent To Pimp a Butterfly, but making the artistic link between Parker and the rapper would be a stretch.

The efforts of the organizers of the Charlie Parker Celebration are noble.   Yet until his most vital disciples attain meaningful congregations, Parker’s place in popular culture will continue to fade. 

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Ornithology

I've lived in the Kansas City area for decades but Saturday was the first opportunity I've had to take a curated tour of sites associated with Charlie Parker.

When I purchased a ticket for the American Jazz Museum's one-off "Parker Historical Tour" through Ticketmaster for $25, I didn't think I'd learn much.  I was simply eager to participate in one of the signature events of this month's "A Charlie Parker Celebration" initiative.

After devouring the new Charlie Parker biographies by Stanley Crouch (Plastic Sax review) and Chuck Haddix (Plastic Sax review) and having already spent an unhealthy amount of time at locations including Lincoln Cemetery, I figured I was qualified to give the tour as I boarded the 30-seat trolley car on Saturday afternoon. 

I'd severely underestimated the value of having Haddix along for the ride.  An excellent tour guide, Haddix conjured long-demolished structures at empty lots and summoned vivid nightlife on vacant street corners. 

The tour stopped at two midtown residences, former venues in midtown and the Plaza, the site of Penn School, the former Paseo Hall, the sites of Addie Parker's homes near 15th & Olive and the Parker graves in Lincoln Cemetery.  The tour did not include the location of Parker's birthplace in Kansas City, Kansas, or the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

Following the two-hour outing, ticket holders were treated to appetizers in the Blue Room.  Mike Corrigan of B.A.C. Horn Doctors presented the American Jazz Museum with a replica of the first cornet owned by Louis Armstrong prior to a performance by Vine Street Rumble.

If even a cavalier critic found the expedition informative and entertaining, it's almost certain that anyone with a passing interest in Parker or in the history of Kansas City would appreciate it even more.

(Original images by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark reports on last week's Jazz Blogger's Tour of Kansas City.

*Hermon Mehari is part of the Kansas City Area Development Council's delegation in New York  to sell  "national lifestyle, travel, food and entertainment media" on the allure of Kansas City.

*Candace Evans' gig at Zona Rosa is recommended by The Pitch.

*The Kansas City Star reviewed performances by the duo of Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.

*The Pitch reports on the young couple who hope to restore the castle-like structure in the Jazz District.

*The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will perform at the VooDoo Lounge at Harrah's Casino on September 26.

*Joe Dimino of Neon Jazz interviewed Washington D.C. musician Lenny Marcus.

*Tweet o' the Week: Dennis P. Owens- A giant almost sat down in front of me. Jazz in the Woods

*Comment o' the Week: Chris Hazelton- The fact that they had anything even slightly resembling straight-ahead jazz is an improvement upon the last several years of this festival.

*From the American Jazz Museum: (Everette) DeVan recorded his latest studio album late last year, but his health slowed progress toward its release... He will celebrate the release of For the Love of You at The Blue Room on June 27th with a special guest lineup of performers who joined him on the album — drummer Danny Rojas, guitarist Matt Hopper, saxophonist Ian Corbett, and vibraphonist/AJM CEO Greg Carroll. The CD and other merchandise will be available for purchase at the show.

(Original image of Stanley Crouch and Chuck Haddix at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center on June 19 by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Eddie Moore interviews Dominique Sanders in a 16-minute video.

*The UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance received a $500,000 donation from Sid and Carole McKnight.

*Pat Metheny was featured on the radio program Here and Now.

*Joe Klopus focuses on Saturday's Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60 concert at the Gem Theater in his The Kansas City Star column.  The Pitch also recommends the all-star bill.

*Joe Dimino posted three separate interviews with Chuck Haddix, Shirazette Tinnin and Russ Nolan.

*Chris Burnett's SoundCloud account remains active.

*Marc Myers reports on the death of Med Flory, one of the principal members of Supersax, the Charlie Parker-oriented band that also featured Ronnell Bright.

*Tweet o' the Week: Steven Lambert- #broadwayjazzclub March 26th, I'll be recording a LIVE album! Come be part of the magic, if you dare! Eight pm!

*From a press release: After taking a break from an extensive musical career of 43 years, renowned Kansas City performer Ida McBeth has decided to make the Broadway Jazz Club her new home. Mcbeth will be performing at the Broadway Jazz Club on March 29 (6:30-9pm), April 19 (6-9pm), and May 3 (6-9pm). She will perform exclusively at the club twice a month. Future dates will be announced as they approach.  "I'm hoping that they're ready for me because I'm ready for them. I want to hug every last one of them, I wish I could!" says Ida McBeth as she discusses her dedicated fan-base and the upcoming dates at the club. McBeth is ready to entertain fans at the Broadway Jazz Club with well-loved songs from her discography as well as various selections from traditional jazz musicians. McBeth will be accompanied by her band of several years…

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Book Review: Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker

After reading Chuck Haddix's Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker, I waited a few months before picking up Stanley Crouch's Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker.

I feared the books would be overly similar.  In spite of a shared subject, the concurrent works couldn't be more different.

Haddix's biography serves an as invaluable instruction manual for fans interested in retracing Parker's footsteps in the Kansas City area.  Crouch seemingly intends to write a comprehensive cultural history of the United States during the first half of the 20th century. 

By employing the ubiquitary Parker as his lead character, Crouch is able to examine subjects ranging from railroads to the adaptation of horses by Native Americans.  Musicians including Roy Eldridge, Jay McShann, Gene Ramey and Buster Smith merit detailed analysis.  Each of Crouch's digressions is fascinating.  Crouch is seen by many as an oppressively conservative observer of contemporary culture.  His championing of the disruptive brilliance of Parker, consequently, is exceedingly fascinating. 

The masterfully written Kansas City Lightning concludes in 1940 when Parker is just 20, meaning that fans can look forward to additional volumes about Parker from Crouch.  I can't wait.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark reports that prominent jazz scholar Stanley Crouch will appear with Chuck Haddix in June as part of a "Kansas City Jazz Blogger Summit."

*Joe Klopus previews this weekend's Jazz Winterlude festival.  The Pitch also recommends the two-day event.

*Tickets for a "Smooth Grooves at The Gem" series featuring Peter White, Keiko Matsui, Jeff Lorber and Alex Bugnon recently went on sale at Ticketmaster.

*Crosscurrent has posted three interesting notices about its January 23 gig at the Blue Room at its site.

*A critic suggests that Bobby Watson's recent appearance in Nebraska was "pure joy."

*Chuck Berg reviewed a Topeka Jazz Workshop concert by Joe Cartwright.

*Magic 201, a posthumous release by Frank Wess, will be issueed next month.

*Kansas-born Lisa Engelken's latest album received a positive review in Jazz Times.

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

*Comment o' the Week: Dominique- It was just something that we did one night. Special occasion.

*Tweet o' the Week: Shades of Jade- Shout out to everyone that came through at Green Lady last night! Your energy fueled the band tremendously!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Champian Fulton pays tribute to Jay McShann in an appealing blog post.

*Here's another promotional video for the forthcoming album by the Pat Metheny Unity Group.

*KC Jazz Lark documents another night at Broadway Jazz Club.

*Chick Corea and Bela Fleck will perform at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre on April 6.

*The Pitch recommends a gig by the Foundation 627 Big Band at the Green Lady Lounge.

*Lisa Henry is working with the likes of Ambrose Akinmusire.

*Charles Ferruzza reports that Beena Brandsgard is booking jazz acts at Carma in Leawood.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Scott Wilson of The Pitch spoke to author Chuck Haddix about his biography of Charlie Parker.

*Comment o' the Week: Cb- I agree, HIB. The video work is top-shelf ...  Is this SOP for the venue or was that done special by this group in order to produce the video, etc.?  I also like the aesthetic of the multi-cameras and the announcer bringing focus to the music, treating the gig like "an event of musical importance".  Every venue in KC could learn from this approach.

*Tweet o' the Week: Michael Mackie- Hey @officialkennyg! Hear you're coming to KC! Please come play w/ us on our show, @KCLiveTV. We'd love to dish & have you perform.

*From a press release: The incomparable Joe Cartwright, Piano Virtuoso and Tim Whitmer & The Consort Band.  Pianist Joe Cartwright has lived, performed and taught in the Kansas City area for the last thirty years.  He is a graduate of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and is currently the musical director for the critically acclaimed NPR radio show 12th Street Jump…  Spirituality & All That Jazz.  First Wednesday of every month.  Wednesday, February 5.  7:00 p.m.  Unity Temple on the Plaza/ Tickets at the door only - $7.00 - Children under 16 free.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Top Jazz-Related Stories and Trends of 2013

1.
Bird Lives. 
Two new biographies of Charlie Parker- Chuck Haddix's Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker and Stanley Crouch's Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker- offered new insights into Kansas City's most famous son.

2.
On Broadway.
The recent opening of Broadway Jazz Club- a venue dedicated to mainstream Kansas City jazz- is enormously encouraging.

3,
Clubbed.
The maturation of the Green Lady Lounge into a popular establishment for jazz fans and upscale drinkers alike has been very satisfying.  And Take Five Coffee + Bar is now firmly established as one of the area's elite listening rooms.  The Kill Devil Club, however, shifted away from a jazz format.  Jazz has become a niche offering at the Phoenix.  The West Chase Grille closed this year while JJ's literally blew up.

4.
Mentor.
Kansas City became a lesser place when Kerry Strayer died on August 1.  He was an extraordinary baritone saxophonist, bandleader, teacher, and all-around great guy.

5.
Mired in minor festivals.
In a June editorial, KC Jazz Lark suggested that Kansas City is "mired in minor festivals."  He's right.  The Prairie Village Jazz Festival, the 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival, the Corporate Woods Jazz Festival and Jazz Winterlude are terrific, but none is a "major" jazz-oriented festival. 

6.
Art jazz.
Commercially problematic but artistically fruitful aspects of jazz were explored at this year's Black Lab: A New Music Festival and monthly at the RecordBar and Grunauer.

7.
Struggling.
Atypical flareups of violence and a challenging business environment bedeviled the Jazz District in 2013.

8.
Series sustenance.
Every time I go to a poorly attended concert by a renowned artist in the Jammin' at the Gem and the Folly Jazz series, I consider it a small miracle that the programs continue in spite of the lack of support.  I'm very grateful for the organizers' perseverance. 

9.
Kids.
When Aryana Nemati served as a last-minute sub in Harry Connick's band at a concert at the Midland theater, she floored the star with a sterling solo.  Anyone familiar with the high quality of the artists who've honed their skills at the UMKC Conservatory in recent years wasn't surprised.  Nemati is just one of dozens of remarkable young players in Kansas City.

10.
Secret Story.
It seems silly to suggest that a man who won his twentieth Grammy Award this year is under-appreciated, but Pat Metheny still doesn't receive the respect he deserves from "serious" jazz listeners.  His 2013 releases Tap: The Book of Angels, Vol. 20 and The Orchestrion Project are extraordinary.

I conducted similar exercises in 2012 and 2011.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Kansas City Star's lengthy examination of the Jazz District's struggles and an in-depth look at the state of the American Jazz Museum were written by Mike Hendricks.

*KC Jazz Lark continues his invaluable "What the Jazz Museum Was Going To Be" series.

*A blogger notes that Chuck Haddix has unearthed two previously undiscovered recordings featuring Charlie Parker.  (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Kin (←→), a new album by the Pat Metheny Unity Group ( Metheny, Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez, Ben Williams and multi-instrumentalist Giulio Carmassi), will be released by Nonesuch on February 4, 2014.

*The Pitch takes note of the physical release of Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day.

*The Kansas City Star published a review of the Kenny Barron Trio's concert at the Folly Theater.

*The push behind the construction of a "Jazz Walk of Fame" seems to be gaining momentum.

*The Kansas City Star reports that the new executive director of the Lied Center is the former vice president of concerts and programming at Jazz at the Lincoln Center.

*An amusing moment at the 3:00 mark of a video produced by Pharrell William's "Other" channel- "I've been listening to- what's that show?- "Bird Flight" on the radio early in the morning. It's that radio show all about Charlie Byrd."

*Tweet o' the Week: Heinlein Music- 98.1 going to town on 18th & Vine right now. So far my favorite quote has been, "I've never been there but maybe 20 people have been there."

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous: 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.  Seriously, 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.

*You can talk as much as you like as you're eating a $45 steak.

*From a press release: The University of Kansas School of Music proudly presents the 12th Annual Jazz Vespers concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 12, 2013 at the Lied Center of Kansas.  The concert will feature KU Jazz Ensemble I and Jazz Ensemble II, directed by Dan Gailey, KU director of Jazz Studies; KU Jazz Singers, directed by David von Kampen, D.M.A. student in composition; and KU Combo I, directed by Matt Otto, KU lecturer in Jazz Studies. Also featured will be KU professor of Film and Media Studies Chuck Berg, tenor saxophone; KU professor of saxophone, Vince Gnojek, saxophone; and KU School of Music dean Robert Walzel, clarinet. The program features jazz arrangements of holiday favorites by some of the most celebrated writers in jazz including Duke Ellington, Gil Evans and Ernie Wilkins. The program includes The First Noel; It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; The Little Drummer Boy; It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year; Winter Wonderland; Sugar Rum Cherry; Jingle Bells; and more.  Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children, seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased at the Lied Center Ticket Office, by phone at 785-864-2787 or online at www.lied.ku.edu.

*From Take Five Coffee: Friday, November 29, 8 pm:  Project H- Friday we host the huge ensemble sound of a septet that features all original compositions and ridiculous talent. Trombonist and composer Ryan Heinlein leads the way, pushing the swings on a jazz playground with his miscreant playmates - Clint Ashlock (trumpet), Dominique Sanders (bass), Andrew Ouellette (keys), Matt Leifer (drums), Jeff Stocks (guitar) and Brett Jackson (sax). It's like the Little Rascals with horns, sort of. $5 cover.  Saturday, November 30, 8 pm:  Sons of Brasil- Slip a little samba seasoning into your holiday feast! The Sons know how to heat up a cold night - Stan Kessler (trumpet), Danny Embrey (guitar), Greg Whitfield (bass) and Doug Auwarter (drums) are the absolute best around at what they do, and what they do is deliver spell-binding grooves in the Brazilian style $5 cover.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

 *Karrin Allyson and David Basse are releasing albums during the next week.  The release date for the "physical" edition of Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day is November 12.

*Chuck Haddix is interviewed by Joe Dimino.  Haddix and Bobby Watson will reprise their concert/book talk at the Jeannette Nichols Forum on November 6.

*Libby Hanssen recounts the excitement of a People's Liberation Orchestra gig at the RecordBar.

*A critic compares and contrasts biographies of Charlie Parker by Stanley Crouch, Gary Giddins and Chuck Haddix.

*The Pitch recommends a gig by New Jazz Order.

*Jon Poses takes note of A Kansas City Trumpet Summit.

*Here's the latest episode of 12th Street Jump's "Blues In the News."

*Tweet o' the Week: Kelly Ludwig- Chuck Haddix signing his great new book about Charlie Parker (just for you, Christy) #charlieparker (Instagram)

*Comment o' the Week: KC Jazz Lark- Wow. I am honored and humbled. Sometimes people who read our occasional disagreements ask me if we get along. I am always delighted to tell them we're friends.

*From a press release: Kansas City’s community jazz scene revives with former Jardine’s General Manager, Pat Hanrahan, in Midtown this Nov. with the opening of The Broadway Jazz Club, located at 3601 Broadway Avenue. The location operated as a speakeasy during the peak of the city’s jazz age, and is across the street from the historic Ambassador Hotel, where legendary jazz performers like Marilyn Maye once performed.  Near the Country Club Plaza and not far from the performing arts venues downtown, the Broadway Jazz Club is in the heart of the Broadway Arts District, offering a rich, historical context to enjoy live jazz five nights a week. The new venue establishes a community-oriented jazz destination that is accessible, relaxed and centered around Kansas City’s tremendous jazz reputation with local musicians.  The management team, led by owner and entrepreneur Neil Pollock, includes Hanrahan as General Manager and Steve Wachsberg with operations… ollock, a lifelong connoisseur of jazz, always dreamed of opening his own jazz club in Kansas City, famous for its jazz heritage… Broadway Jazz Club boasts a diverse, active lineup of the city’s most talented jazz musicians five nights a week for jazz lovers of all ages to enjoy. Each night will feature different styles of jazz, including rhythm and blues on Tuesdays, pianists on Wednesdays, live trios on Thursdays and five- to six-piece bands with live vocalists on Fridays and Saturdays. Additionally, Broadway Jazz Club will feature a jazz pianist during a daily happy hour. Operating times include Tuesdays – Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. – midnight, Friday from 4:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. and Saturday from 6:00 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.  Broadway Jazz Club will also operate as a full-service bar and restaurant, seating up to 120 guests with a total capacity for 160, with plans to announce its full menu closer to opening.

*From Connie Humiston: November 3rd, 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ~ American Jazz Museum.  Benefiting the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.  Brunch with Millie Edwards & Herman Mehari. Stroll through the Museum exhibits. Mark Lowrey performing in the Blue Room. Host: Larry Moore, KMCB news anchor. $50 (a portion is tax-deductible).  Museum admission included.

*From Rob Scheps: Our next Project in Kansas City and the Midwest is a stellar quartet.  Featuring Eliot Zigmund, the drummer in the Bill Evans Trio with Eddie Gomez for 4 years, Eliot is one of the living greats of jazz percussion.  Fridays April 4 and 11, 2014 (at) Lucky Brewgrille, and Friday April 18, 2014, (at) Take Five Coffee Bar.

*From Jim Mair: It might sound cliché, but the latest invitation for the Kansas City Kansas Community College music program is truly a “once in a lifetime experience.”  The KCKCC Jazz Band has been invited to perform at the 2014 Havana International Jazz Festival in Havana, Cuba. The festival is Dec. 17 to 22, 2014. Jim Mair, professor of music and director of instrumental studies at KCKCC, said the band was invited based on its long reputation as one of the premiere community college jazz ensembles in the nation.  “This will truly be a life-changing experience,” Mair said. “Some of the students are very excited. Others have not yet absorbed what this means. This is a very exciting opportunity.”…  Mair said a 19-piece jazz band will travel to Cuba, either through Miami, Fla. or Cancun, Mexico…  With plans already in the works to travel to Cuba next year, Mair said the next step is to begin raising the approximately $60,000 it will take to get the jazz band to Cuba.  Mair said he would like to open the trip to people within the Wyandotte and Kansas City area community. He said to take people with the jazz band would serve as a cultural exchange, exposing as many people as possible to Cuba. Those who are interested in traveling with the jazz band are responsible for their own expenses and travel costs…“I would like to make it a community effort. Anyone who wants to go, who likes to travel can go,” he said. “This is a special circumstance to visit a country not many have been able to experience before.”

*From the American Jazz Museum: Friday Nov 1- Michael Carvin Experience w/ Jansen Cinco, Yayoi Ikawa, Keith Loftis $15.  Saturday Nov 2- CD Release Party! David Basse Featuring Curtis Lundy $15.

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: Friday, November 1, 8pm - 10pm:  David Basse-Curtis Lundy Quartet.  We are honored to have Kansas City legend David Basse in for an intimate performance and CD release party at Take Five. As a singer and drummer, Basse has performed all over the world with jazz luminaries such as Jay McShann, and his voice is heard far and wide every week as he hosts the "12th Street Jump" on KCUR and "The Jazz Scene" on Kansas Public Radio… $15 cover. Saturday, November 2, 8pm - 11pm:  Jeff Harshbarger Quintet - Jazz in the Jungle Afterparty… Harshbarger is joined by saxophonists Rich Wheeler and Matt Otto and guitarist Brian Baggett, and drummer Brian Steever… Sunday, November 3, 7pm - 9pm:  Chilliott… Join us Sunday evening for Chilliott, a three-piece groove oriented fusion band featuring Charlie Harris on bass, Elliott Stevens on percussion and BJ Presnell on banjo.. If you like Bela Fleck, you won't want to miss this show.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Matt Jones, the owner of the Phoenix, suggests that "“(i)t’s tough around Kansas City to be a jazz guy."

*A report in The Kansas City Star indicates that the Broadway Jazz Cafe "will offer live music five nights a week."

*Chuck Haddix was interviewed by KCPT about his his biography of Charlie Parker.  Here's footage from Haddix's reading at Unity Temple.

*NPR interviewed Stanley Crouch about his new biography of Charlie Parker.

*The Pitch recommends Friday's performance by the Jazz Disciples with Lisa Henry.

*The Kansas City Star offers a review of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra's appearance at Helzberg Hall.  KC Metropolis' analysis of Saturday's concert is here.

*Kevin Mahogany recalls the time he spent at Baker University.

*Here's a new episode of 12th Street Jump's"Blues In the News."

*Joe Dimino interviewed Chicago-based trumpeter Marquis Hill.

*Tweet o' the Week: Anton Donaldson- Kansas City jazz legend Lonnie McFadden. #jazz #kansascity (Vine)

*Comment o' the Week: Timothy- If its not a greasy sound it must have been recorded at Soundtrek. No disrespect to Soundtrek but it is a notoriously polite sound. Maybe I'm wrong. Tim

*From Jim Mair: The Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Program will present a showcase at the Green Lady Lounge on Veteran's Day, Monday, November 11th from 7pm to 10pm.  Showcase will feature Jazz Band, Jazz Combos, Vocal Jazz Ensembles and Student Jazz Soloists. The showcase is free of charge and open to the public.

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: The power this weekend at Take Five Coffee + Bar comes from the depths- two outstanding shows led by two of the city's premier bassists. Come get that feeling down in your bones. Friday, October 25, 8pm: Ben Leifer's Plus Minus: Among his many ensemble affiliations, Ben Leifer is part of the trio, Diverse, that originally opened up Take Five to the idea of a coffeehouse hosting live jazz. Having him back in the room, leading a terrific quartet he calls Plus Minus, is a long-awaited treat: Andrew Ouellette on keys, Matt Hopper on guitar, and John Kizilarmut on drums. $5 cover. Saturday, October 26, 8pm:  Bill McKemy Quartet: As a composer, leader and sideman, bassist Bill McKemy has been tearing up the Kansas City jazz scene for years and continues to deliver surprises at every turn. In front of his own quartet of equally imaginative and powerful players - Brian Baggett on guitar, Rich Wheeler on tenor and Sam Wisman on drums - he'll take over Take Five this Saturday, much to our delight. $5 cover.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Event Review: Chuck Haddix at Unity on the Plaza

I would pay $7 just to hear Chuck Haddix talk about Charlie Parker for 90 minutes.  Throwing down that amount to hear Haddix's thoughts on Bird complemented with performances by several of Kansas City's most notable musicians represents a rare bargain.  An audience of over 300 took advantage of the deal at Unity on the Plaza on Wednesday, October 2.

Haddix was promoting his new biography Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker.  Plastic Sax reviewed the book last month.  The event was part of Tim Whitmer's monthly Spirituality and All That Jazz series.

The evening began with the house band of pianist Whitmer, saxophonist Jim Mair, bassist James Albright and drummer Jurgen Welge playing "Autumn Leaves" and "My Little Suede Shoes."  Mair floored me by making a bold statement with a Grafton saxophone on the latter selection.  Unfortunately, his nod to Parker's infamous plastic sax won't be repeated anytime soon. 

"I just sold it and I'm shipping it out tomorrow," Mair said.

Haddix read from his book and shared personal anecdotes about his relationship with Parker's music.  He recalled initially failing to appreciate Parker's approach after he bought "a $2.99 cutout" album at the UMKC bookstore.

"I didn't get it," Haddix confessed.

He explained that the tall tales of bar owner Milton Morris played an instrumental role in fostering his understanding of Parker's legacy.  Haddix reminded the audience of Parker's affection for "Cherokee" in his introduction to the standard.  The format- Haddix's analysis of the evolution of Parker's career followed by a related performance- would continue for the remainder of the evening. 

Accompanied by Albright and Welge, saxophone giant Bobby Watson, trumpeter Hermon Mehari and pianist Andrew Ouellette tore into "Cherokee."  Watson stormed through the changes as if he was momentarily possessed by Parker.  Watson's bluesy take on "Body and Soul" was brilliant.  Mair returned to the stage for a lively rendition of "Jumpin' the Blues." 

Watson and Mehari played impressive unison lines on "Yardbird Suite."  "Groovin' High" and "Just Friends" were followed by a version of "Now's the Time" that closed the unique and entertaining event on a rapturous note.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Chuck Haddix discussed his new biography of Charlie Parker with Steve Kraske on KCUR's Up to Date.

*NPR offers a review Stanley Crouch's biography of Charlie Parker.

*Megan Birdsall interviewed Andrew Ouellette for the Green Lady Lounge's Tumblr.

*Four people were shot last week near the Mutual Musicians Foundation.  A lengthy report in The Kansas City Star examines the consequences of the incident.

*Black House Collective is one of four Kansas City-based organizations to receive SEED grants from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. "(T)he grantees will receive $10,000 per year for three years."  The collective shares another round of photos from its new music festival.

*The day after I published Monday's editorial about the fractured jazz community, Kansas City Jazz A.L.I.V.E., "a new Jazz catalyst organization," came to my attention.

*Photos of Jon Faddis and Marilyn Maye are among the second set of images captured by KC Jazz Lark documenting the 2013 edition of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

*Nicolay of the Foreign Exchange recalls performing for a tough audience at the Blue Room.

*Krystle Warren will make a rare appearance in her hometown on Sunday, October 6, at the KC Live stage.

*Here's the latest episode of 12th Street Jump's "Blues In the News."

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- The first time I heard about the Blvd. charity project was a couple days before it ended. I had seen no advertising whatsoever until a last minute half-***** attempt at getting AJM audience members to vote. Of course they lost! The AJM marketing team needs some serious rethinking. Just trying to negotiate the website gives me headache. See for yourself by trying to find out who is playing at the Blue Room in October. Just being honest here. Does Myra Taylor's life story really warrant a musical production?  Mr. Butler has big ideas but unfortunately none of them are very good. The incentives were poor and the project was poorly outlined. "The majority of the over 1,000 people who attend every concert by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at Helzberg Hall probably aren't terribly concerned with the legacy of Charlie Parker."  Really? Did you ask them individually? They, unlike the younger musicians in town, actually grew up when Parker's music was being produced. I think they might surprise you. "Most of the supporters of the jam sessions at YJs don't feel a strong connection to the American Jazz Museum" Absolutely incorrect.

*Tweet o' the Week: Matthew Kassel- Traffic was thick as freckles on the face of a redheaded cracker." (One of many choice lines in Stanley Crouch's new Charlie Parker bio.)

**From Brad Cox: Wednesday, October 2--Jeff Harshbarger--The Music of True Grit, Plaza Library, Truman Forum at 7:00pm. Free (not jazz).  Thursday, October 3--Solo Keyboard, Computer and Social Media Performance, Paragraph Gallery from 7:30-9:30pm. Free. Sunday, October 6-Krystle Warren, Power and Light Live at 6:00pm. Free. Sunday, October 6--People's Liberation Big Band, RecordBar at 8:00pm, $5. Tuesday, October 8-People's Liberation Big Band-The Valdislav Starevich Project,
Kansas City Art Institute at 7:30pm. Free.

*From Take Five Coffee: The October music lineup at Take Five Coffee + Bar features a mix of artists from far-off lands and world class talent from right here in KC. We kick it off this week with Paul Zaborac, a saxophonist from Australia, and then Ben Van Gelder, a saxophonist from The Netherlands by way of New York City, comes in to spar with Hermon Mehari. Wrap it up with James Isaac's ensemble of versatile KC masters, and you'll have a weekend to remember.

Thursday, October 3, 7pm:  The Paul Zaborac Trio- On tour from Sydney, Australia, the Paul Zaborac Trio is sure to blow our little room away… $5 cover.  Friday, October 4, 8pm:  Hermon Mehari with special guest Ben Van Gelder-… Widely recognized among the best and most distinctive sax players under 30 in the world, Ben is a captivating performer. $5 cover… Saturday, October 5, 8pm:  James Isaac Group- With Jeff Harshbarger on bass, Mike Stover on guitar and/or pedal steel, and Scotty McBee on the drums, Isaac will take us places none of us can guess. $5 cover. This just ahead: Rob Scheps and Jim O'Connor Quintet; Hermon Mehari Trio; singer/songwriter Kate Cosentino; Parallax; the Mike Herrera Quintet; Ben Leifer Quartet; Bill McKemy. Thinking out to November? Here are some teasers: David Basse; Jeff Harshbarger; KC Sound Collective; Interstring; M-Bird; Project H; Peter Schlamb; Shay Estes.

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Kansas City Star reviewed Deborah Brown's performance with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at Helzberg Hall and Miguel Zenón's appearance at the Blue Room.

*Ben Ratliff of The New York Times interviewed Stanley Crouch about the new biography Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker.  The author also discussed Parker with Don Imus.

*A set of photos documenting the Prairie Village Jazz Festival was posted by KC Jazz Lark.

*Joe Klopus highlights Jim O'Connor's visit to Kansas City in his weekly column.

*The 9th Inning Sports Bar & Grill, a relatively new establishment a block west of the museum complex in the Jazz District, has closed.  (Link via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Black House Collective shares photos of its ongoing new music festival.

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

*Pat Metheny's Unity Group (sic) has a date booked at the Topeka Performing Arts Center on March 8, 2014.

*Comment o' the Week: North KC Evan- 12thStreet Jump puts live KC jazz all over the radio! What other KC jazz ANYTHING reaches that many people on a weekly basis? Find some love...or just respect.

*Tweet o' the Week: Michael Shults- Miguel Zenon just broke music. It's broken. He shattered it into a million tiny pieces.

*From a press release: A celebration of the life and music of Charlie Parker with Chuck Haddix discussing his new book “Bird: The Life & Music of Charlie Parker.”  Accompanied by Special Guests Saxophonist Bobby Watson And Trumpeter Hermon Mehari along with Tim Whitmer and an All-Star Band playing the music of Charlie Parker… To musically enhance excerpts of this story, internationally renowned saxophonist Bobby Watson will channel Charlie Parker through his horn… Bobby will be joined by trumpeter and former student, Hermon Mehari and other musical guests… Spirituality & All That Jazz.  Unity Temple on the Plaza.  Wednesday, October 2, 2013. Tickets at the door only - $7.00.

*From the American Jazz Museum: The American Jazz Museum is one of three organizations chosen to benefit from sales of Boulevard Brewery's KC Pils from July 1 through September 30.  Beginning September 20, a ten-day public voting period will determine how the money will be divided, with the top vote getter receiving 60% of available funds and the two runners up each collecting 20%.  The process will repeat every three months, so that 12 worthy organizations will receive funding each year.  Ballots may be cast here.

*From Rob Scheps: On Friday September 27, I will play a cool double. Two hip, different venues with 2 great bands… Friday Sept. 27: Rob Scheps (flute/ tenor sax) with the Ron Carlson Trio, 6 pm to 8 pm, Lucky Brewgrille. Friday Sept. 27: Rob Scheps with the Mark Lowrey Trio, 9 pm to 12 am, Green Lady Lounge.

*From a press release: The Count Basie Orchestra and All That Music Productions, LLC, is pleased to announce the appointment of Scotty Barnhart as the new Director of The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra. He follows Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, and Dennis Mackrel in leading one of the greatest and most important jazz orchestras in history.  Founded in 1935 by pianist William James Basie (1904-1984), the orchestra still tours the world today and is presently ending a two-week tour in Japan… Mr. Barnhart, born in 1964, is a native of Atlanta, Georgia… He has been a featured trumpet soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra for the last 20 years... His first concert as leader of the orchestra is September 25, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Cobb Energy Center in a tribute to Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Joe Williams. Barnhart resides in Los Angeles, California, and Tallahassee, Florida.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Book Review- Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker is a former neighbor.  After reading Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker, the new biography by Chuck Haddix, I think of the Kansas City, Kansas, native less as a jazz legend than as a guy who lived much of his life on the same streets I inhabit.

While living at 3527 Wyandotte in 1927, for instance, Parker walked by the Uptown Theater on his way to school.  As the co-headliner of the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour in 1948, Parker performed successive nights at the Music Hall (whites only) and Municipal Auditorium (integrated audience). 

A joint named Tootie's Mayfair at 79th & Wornall hosted Parker during his sporadic Kansas City homecomings.  He also played the El Capitan at 18th & Vine in 1952, a fact I was oblivious to when I frequented the club in the 1980s.  These details- and there are dozens in the book- transformed my perception of Parker's life. 

The biography is essential reading for every Kansas City-based jazz fan and for anyone who hopes to fully understand the social, economic and political structure of Kansas City during Parker's life (1920-55).

The fascinating revelations don't end when Parker relocates to New York.  If I'd ever known that Parker once hung out with Albert Einstein and had met Jean-Paul Sartre, I'd forgotten about those odd intersections.  Lay readers may find Haddix's constant litany of Parker's tours, club bookings and recording dates too dry.  For Bird obsessives, however, such details are endlessly fascinating.  Parker's life, of course, is also the story of the relationship between Parker's spectacular genius and what Haddix characterizes as "capricious behavior."  Haddix soberly documents Parker's personal failings.

Parker's artistic significance and complex life can't be conclusively captured in a single volume.  Haddix's thin but rich biography, however, serves as an invaluable contribution to the extensive body of work about Parker.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)