Concert Review: Paula Saunders at First Baptist Church

I have an extremely low tolerance for nostalgia.  After Paula Saunders repeated an assertion that the music of earlier eras was superior to the music of today, I walked out on her appearance in the Jazz Vespers series at First Baptist Church last Sunday.  If she didn’t believe in the essential vitality of her renditions of standards, why should I?  Deborah Brown, Karrin Allyson and Marilyn Maye are among the vocalists with area ties who specialize in making decades-old songs seem crucial.  Saunders used her lovely voice to mimic her favorite interpretations of familiar songs including “All of Me,” “Fly Me To the Moon” and “Summertime” in the first 30 minutes of her outing.  Admirable support from keyboardist Desmond Mason, bassist Blair Bryant and drummer Justin McCoy couldn't convince me to stick around.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: Shades of Jade at Coda

Many respectable members of Kansas City’s jazz community would insist that the music I heard at Coda on Saturday wasn’t jazz.  Maybe they’re right.  Yet I’d rather hear Shades of Jade’s version of soul than a musty recreation of the music of yesteryear. 

I’m excited by the current output of José James, Bilal and Esperanza Spalding’s Emily’s D+Evolution project.  Most mainstream jazz that reverently hews to tradition seems less than inspiring in 2015.

That’s partly why Shades of Jade’s melodic original compositions and covers of material by the likes of Musiq Soulchild struck me as meaningful on Saturday in spite of the absence of an audience.  I had the band almost completely to myself.  The sextet presumably played to a packed house at Phoenix Fest later that night.

Shades of Jade wasn’t perfect.  When I told bandleader Josh Williams at the break that he and keyboardist Desmond Mason seemed to be pushing toward jazz while the other four members of the group were pulling toward R&B, he agreed that the new lineup hadn’t completely coalesced.

The two vocalists seemed to have Lauryn Hill in mind as they sang while Williams and Mason may have been going for the sound of D’Angelo’s band.  Jazz chops occasionally clashed with a more regimented sensibility. 

I didn’t mind.  I currently prefer a flawed version of jazz-informed R&B to a perfect replication of 1955-era swing.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The details of the 2015 Charlie Parker Celebration have been unveiled.

*KC Jazz Lark celebrates the return of Eboni Fondren.

*The Johnson County Library posted an interview with Shades of Jade keyboardist Desmond Mason.

*The Pitch notes the jazz credentials of Victor & Penny.

*Chris Hazelton was featured in an installment of Millennial Society TV.

*Clint Ashlock lists his favorite albums at Inside Jazz Kansas City.

*Pat Metheny shared a brief preview of his forthcoming DVD and Blu Ray video.

*Karrin Allyson’s Many A New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein will be released on September 18.

*Demencha interviewed Keyon Harrold, a trumpeter from St. Louis who is a member of D’Angelo’s touring band.

*A video playlist of the entire Ensemble Ibérica “Music of Matt Otto” concert is available.

*A track from Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle’s new album was included on a Next Bop playlist.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Sarah Layton- I just realized that even though I live in Kansas City I've never gone to listen to live jazz. That's just terrible. I must rectify!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)