Plastic Sax's Top Albums of 2014

Plastic Sax's Favorite Kansas City-Related Jazz Albums of 2014
1. Peter Schlamb- Tinks (Plastic Sax review.)
2. Pat Metheny Unity Group- Kin (Plastic Sax review.)
3. The Project H- We Live Among the Lines (Plastic Sax review.)
4. Diverse- Our Journey (Plastic Sax review.)
5. Jorge Arana Trio- Oso (Plastic Sax review.)
6. Frank Wess- Magic 201
7. Everette DeVan- For the Love of You (Plastic Sax review.)
8. J.E. Chapman- 364 Days (Plastic Sax review.)
9. David Basse- The Hero and the Lover… (Plastic Sax review.)
10. Shades of Jade- Fingerprinted Memories (Plastic Sax review.)

Plastic Sax's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2014 From Elsewhere
1. Flying Lotus- You're Dead!
2. Kris Bowers- Heroes + Misfits
3. Danilo Pérez- Panama 500
4. David Binney- Anacapa
5. Ambrose Akinmusire- The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint
6. Takuya Kuroda- Rising Son
7. Bohren & der Club of Gore- Piano Nights
8. GoGo Penguin- v2.0
9. Regina Carter- Southern Comfort
10. Oliver Lake Organ Quartet- What I Heard

Similar year-end listings were published at Plastic Sax in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(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.)

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.)

Biz

In a blog post explicating his picks for the 8th Annual Jazz Critics Poll: 2013, the locally-based jazz critic Chris Robinson suggested that "with something like 700 albums receiving votes, I can say with some confidence that there are way too many albums being recorded.  There’s a lot of quality, but the small jazz market, I feel, may be dangerously flooded with music that nobody will ever hear – quality or not."

While my heart insists that Robinson is wrong, the numbers indicate otherwise.  A detailed examination of new data leads to a difficult question: How can Kansas City-based jazz artists vie for international attention amid the ongoing marginalization of the music?

Robinson points out that his ballot contained the sole vote cast for Alaturka's Yalniz (#309) in the poll of over 100 jazz critics.  Only a handful of additional albums with Kansas City connections received any form of acknowledgement.  A listing: Frank Wess' Magic 101 (#22), Pat Metheny's Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol. 20 (#30), Lester Young's Boston 1950 (#140) and Harold O'Neal's Man On the Street (#453.)

The lack of consensus is startling.  Less than half the participants included the highest-ranked album- Wayne Shorter's Without a Net- in their top ten.  Prominent releases of local interest including Pat Metheny's The Orchestrion Project, Eldar Djangarov's Breakthrough, the Next Collective's Cover Art (featuring Logan Richardson) and Bobby Watson's Check Cashing Day weren't recognized at all.  That leaves little hope for self-released titles by the likes of Mark Lowrey, Paul Shinn and Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle.

Besides, it's safe to say that only a few dozen of the albums receiving votes sold over 1,000 units.  The Music Timeline published by Google last week makes the situation seem even more hopeless.  The overwhelming majority of jazz that's heard by Google Play users was recorded in the 1950s.  Not even the inclusion of pop-based artists like Michael Bublé, Kenny G and Norah Jones in the jazz category prevents the genre from flatlining after 1965.  The The Village Voice's 41st Pazz & Jop Music Critics Poll- a historically jazz-friendly forum- verified the trend.  The highest-ranked jazz album for 2013 comes in at #76.

Given that environment, it seems unlikely that Kansas City can reassert itself as a vital cradle of jazz in the new millennium.  But why not?  There's a lot of great music being made in Kansas City.  As Robinson notes of Alaturka's latest release, "(h)ad the album been on ECM or a similarly large (label) with promotion and distribution muscle, I bet it would have cleaned up."

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Plastic Sax's Top Albums of 2013

Plastic Sax's Favorite Kansas City-Related Jazz Albums of 2013
1. Pat Metheny- Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, vol. 20. (Plastic Sax review)
2. Bobby Watson- Check Cashing Day. (Plastic Sax review)
3. Pat Metheny- The Orchestrion Project. (Plastic Sax review)
4. Mark Lowrey- Tangos for 18th Street. (Plastic Sax review)
5. Frank Wess- Magic 101.
6. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- Freedom of Expression. (Plastic Sax review)
7. Alaturka- Yalniz. (Plastic Sax review)
8. Eldar Djangarov Trio- Breakthrough.
9. Karrin Allyson- Yuletide Hideaway. (Plastic Sax review)
10. The Paul Shinn Trio- Reason Pure. (Plastic Sax review)

Plastic Sax's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2013 From Elsewhere
1. Dave Holland- Prism
2. Terri Lyne Carrington- Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue
3. Gary Burton- Guided Tour
4. Joe Lovano & Us Five- Cross Culture
5. Orrin Evans- It Was Beauty
6. Ben Goldberg- Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues
7. Brad Goode- Chicago Red
8. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Gamak
9. Damir Out Loud- Graduation Day
10. Ben Wolfe- From Here I See

Similar year-end listings were published at Plastic Sax in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Frank Wess: Magic 101

Most outlets, Plastic Sax included, did a poor job of acknowledging the passing of Frank Wess.  The NEA Jazz Master died on October 30.  A meager post at an obscure jazz blog can't begin to do Wess justice, of course, but it's better than nothing.

Wess, a key component of the version of the Count Basie Orchestra that's most fondly remembered today, was born in Kansas City in 1922.  His flute solo begins at the 1:25 mark of the embedded video.

As I noted in a 2011 entry, Wess remained active.  Rather than listing a few of the hundreds of dates on which Wess applied his unflagging sense of swing, I'll focus on his spectacular new album Magic 101.

Recorded in 2011 and released in June, Wess is backed by pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Winard Harper on  the ballad-heavy recording.  An elegant take on "Easy Living" is among the tracks that make my knees buckle.

Wess' unaccompanied version of "All Too Soon" closes the album.  Hauntingly beautiful and unspeakably poignant, it serves as an apt summation of Wess' singular contribution.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Frank Wess, a Kansas City native and one of Count Basie's primary collaborators in the "New Testament" band, has died.

*The Pitch reports on the traffic accident that damaged the Green Lady Lounge.

*A 38-word report from KCTV notes that "(a)n armed suspect went into the Blue Room."  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Pat Metheny was voted into the magazine's Hall of Fame and named as the top guitarist in the Downbeat Reader's Poll.  The native of Lee's Summit is on the cover of the December issue.

*Greg Carroll was interviewed by a representative of Time Warner Cable.

*Recent performance photos of Kelley Hunt and the Messenger Legacy Band are shared by KC Jazz Lark.

*Tweet o' the Week: Pat Metheny- Hey Everyone - Click this link for a downloadable and printable schedule of the upcoming US tour: (link).

*Comment o' the Week: Brian- I play at Free State Brewery in Lawrence every Friday night. It's a great exercise in focus, humility and also a good spot to try out new ideas. Not to mention the steady income.

*Spotted at the site of the Kansas City Public Library: Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, Wednesday, November 20, 2013, 6:30pm @ Central Library… Biographer Terry Teachout sheds new light on this creative genius in a discussion of his new book about the grandson of a slave who wrote such classics as “Mood Indigo” and “Sophisticated Lady.”  Teachout, a Kansas City resident from 1975 to 1983, is the author of Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong, The Skeptic: A Life of H.L. Mencken, and the play Satchmo at the Waldorf. For The Wall Street Journal, he is drama critic and the author of “Sightings,” a column about the arts in America. He is the critic-at-large at Commentary, and writes the blog About Last Night.

*From Jim Mair: Don't miss Jazz by the Lake! This Thursday, November 7, 2013, at the Conference Center, Noon to 1:00. Come and enjoy Kansas City Swing with the Tommy Ruskin / Julie Turner Quartet (a Bop in the Dotte Preview).

*From Jim Mair: The Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Program will be displaying its jazz talents during an upcoming performance at the Green Lady Lounge. The showcase, which will feature the jazz band, jazz combos, vocal jazz ensembles and student jazz soloists, will be from 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand Ave. in Kansas City. The concert will be free and open to the public.  “I attend performances at the Green Lady regularly. I simply talked to the owner, John Scott, and asked about our college ensembles performing there,” said John Stafford, director of Choral Music at KCKCC. “He placed us on a Monday night (when they’re usually not open) and is advertising the performance as a recital."

*From the American Jazz Museum: Convergence: Jazz, Films, and the Visual Arts, Grand Opening Reception and Keynote- Friday, November 8, 2013, 6 p.m.  A collaboration between the American Jazz Museum and the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland, Convergence shines a light on more than 60 significant works of African American art that have a strong connection to the jazz aesthetic in combination with rare jazz film footage capturing the art as it evolved in the early part of the 20th century.  At our grand opening reception, you’ll enjoy live music and a keynote by Dr. Robert O’Meally of Columbia University. His talk, “Looking at the Music: Jazz and the Visual Arts,” considers jazz music as a model for the structures, rhythms, and colors of contemporary visual art. What does it mean to visualize jazz?

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: Thursday, November 7, 7:30pm-9:30pm: UMKC Saxophone Studio- The saxophone studio at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance maintains a tradition of excellence established over the past several decades.  Formerly under the direction of Tim Timmons, the studio is in its first year under Zach Shemon of the world famous PRISM Quartet…  Friday, November 8, 8pm-10pm:  Philip Wakefield Trio- Drummer Philip Wakefield proves his versatility every month when he hosts Take Five's Open Mic, but with the room to himself, he'll swing you into a different orbit. In the company of guitarist Brian Ruskin and bassist Blake Hughes… $5 cover.  Saturday, November 9, 8:30pm-10:30pm:  The KC Sound- Steve Lambert on saxes and flute, Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Dominique Sanders on bass, Andrew Ouellette on piano and Brad Williams on drums… $5 cover. Monday, November 11, 7pm-9pm:  Interstring- Drummer Todd Strait will be back in town, and has reunited the legendary Interstring Quartet for this special Monday night performance. In addition to Todd, Interstring is Rod Fleeman and Danny Embrey on guitars and Bob Bowman on bass… $5 cover.

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*"Let’s not have another jazz year like 2011," Joe Klopus pleads in a year-in-review column.

*Charles Feruzza reports that Jardine's has been sold to a new ownership group. Tony's Kansas City covers the kerfuffle over Jardine's here, here and here. Hearne Christopher writes about Jardine's here, here and here.

*KCJazzLark captures a remarkable Celebration of Life jam session.

*The Marshall Democrat-News offers a profile of Clarence Smith.

*"It's hard to own and operate a business promoting one of the least popular forms of music in our country," T.J. Martley says in a preview of a gig at the Blue Room.

*Will Matthews is interviewed.

*Mambo DeLeon is the subject of a video interview.

*An audio interview with Karrin Allyson was conducted by the pop group Mulberry Lane.

*Here's 66 minutes of excellent footage from Mark Lowrey's December 21 gig at the Record Bar.

*Kansas City native Frank Wess celebrates his 90th birthday today.

*The author of Outside-Inside-Out solicits the input of his friends in a review of the Owens/Cox Dance Group's most recent collaboration with the People's Liberation Big Band.

*The Star reports on Occupy KC's "jazz funeral."

*Hunter Long addresses a number of topics in a Black House Improvisors' Collective post.

*Howard Reich reports that Miguel Zenon will "re-examine" the Charlie Parker With Strings album in Chicago on February 24.

*Tweet o' the Week: paynic- @Toure The j word has oppressive overtones. It was the name for the white caricaturization of Black music.

*I'll gladly pay $30 for a two-day pass (and $35-$45 more to see Poncho Sanchez) at the Jazz Winterlude festival later this month. But man, $45 buys a two-day pass for this weekend's Winter Jazzfest in New York. It features hundreds of musicians including Marc Cary, Julian Lage, Lionel Loueke, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Mostly Other People Do the Killing, Marc Ribot, Wallace Roney, Ben Williams and Bernie Worrell.

*Road trip alert: The Robert Glasper Experiment performs February 10-11 at St. Louis' Jazz at the Bistro.

*Alas, the month of January looks slight at The Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

*From Drew Williams: The Drew Williams/Tim AuBuchon Quartet play music that is loose but accessible. Their compositions draw on musical inspirations as diverse as Ornette Coleman, Paul Motian, Igor Stravinsky, and Wilco... Drew Williams is a saxophonist and a composer originally from Kansas City, Missouri. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Jazz Composition from NYU… Saxophonist and composer Tim AuBuchon... is currently Professor of Jazz Studies at Truman State University... The pair performs with Bill McKemy and Matt Leifer on Friday, January 6, at Take Five Coffee Bar, Leawood, Kansas.

(Original image of Customer Quintet performing at Great Day Cafe by Plastic Sax.)

Frank Wess- 89 and Counting

Plastic Sax may not be particularly important, but a handful of important people monitor this jazz blog. I'd like to bring a significant milestone to their attention. January 4, 2012, will be the 90th birthday of Frank Wess. The Kansas City native and veteran of Count Basie Orchestra is still gigging and recording. He's also makes for a good interview. I'm putting you on notice, media and museum VIPs- you have almost eight weeks to find a way to acknowledge the man and his achievements.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Jazz Masters concerts at Crown Center featuring George Benson, David Sanborn, Manhattan Transfer and John Pizzarelli have been canceled. Billboards like the one pictured above apparently didn't create enough demand.

*The Mutual Musicians Foundation is hosting the "2010 Charlie Parker Festival and Memorial Tribute to Edward B. 'Eddie' Baker" on August 29.

*Bobby Watson's long-awaited The Gates BBQ Suite will be self-released on September 14, according to a press release.

*The Majestic finally has an online entertainment calendar. It's viewable as a PDF under the "special events" tab. (Tip via KCJazzLark.)

*The Dead Kenny G's played to one of the largest audiences any jazz band has enjoyed in Kansas City all year at The Uptown Theater on Tuesday. Here's a review. The band is at the Czar Bar tonight, August 11.

*Bob Brookmeyer is interviewed by a journalist in Rhode Island.

*Jazz fans will have tough decisions to make on September 11. In addition to the Prairie Village Jazz Festival and the Wynard Harper Sextet's gig at The Blue Room, it's the date of the 2010 edition of the Crossroads Music Fest. Diverse, Hearts of Darkness and Mark Lowrey are among the jazz-related artists scheduled to perform. Here's Wayward Blog's notice.

*Joe Johnson, the winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk Institute’s Composers’ Competition, is interviewed by Andrew Zender. Johnson attended Rockhurst High School.

*Analogue Sounds of Salina, Kansas, is one of the subjects of a New York Times article about jazz reissues on vinyl.

*Kansas City native Frank Wess is honored by Saint Peter's Church in New York City.

*The Star offers a remembrance of Ruth Rhoden.

*KKFI radio personality Barry Jackson has a blog titled Fusion Funk Radio.

*The Star featured the KC Strip trolley service.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)