Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Vijay Iyer Sextet is slated to headline the Open Spaces festival at Starlight Theatre on Sunday, October 14.  Janelle Monáe and the Roots top the bill on the two preceding days.

*Brandon Draper is the subject of a feature on KCUR.

*Jim Mair chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Saxophonist Michael Eaton will perform John Coltrane's 1967 album Stellar Regions at Californos on Friday, August 3.  He’ll be joined by guitarist Seth Davis, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer John Kizilarmut.  The cover charge is $10.

*The 2018 edition of the Columbia Experimental Music Festival has a few noteworthy bookings of interest to aficionados of adventurous jazz.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Kansas City, MO- “The Weekend will be stacked with high profile performances, particularly headliners @JanelleMonae, @theroots, and @vijayiyer, who is one of the biggest names in contemporary jazz.” - @OpenSpacesKC artistic director Dan Cameron

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

* Hermon Mehari is the subject of feature story in the latest issue of Downbeat magazine.

*Joe Klopus highlights Changing the Tune: The Kansas City Women’s Jazz Festival, 1978-1985 in his weekly column.  A Seattle radio station published a review of the new book.

*Eddie Moore was interviewed by a reporter for UMKC’s student newspaper.

*A pair of new tracks by Arnold Young are available at Bandcamp.

*Jim Mair was honored with a 2017 UMKC Alumni Award.

*The Brian Blade Fellowship has been added to the lineup of the Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival.

*Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, John Medeski and Larry Grenadier will perform material from their new album Hudson at Yardley Hall on October 15.

*Tim Finn examined Sean Mawhirter’s journey from jazz to tango.

*Chelsea Emuakhagbon reviewed UMKC Jazz Night.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Eddie Moore- Lawd some of the most beautiful black women are in Brooklyn!

*From a press release: The KU Jazz Studies Program and its students were awarded top honors in the 40th Annual DownBeat Student Music Awards. The KU Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dan Gailey, was recognized with the Graduate College Outstanding Performances honor in the category for large jazz ensembles. DownBeat also recognized the work of Brock Chart, a music composition graduate student from Salina. For his composition “Down to the Wire,” Chart was awarded the Graduate College Outstanding Compositions honor in the category for original compositions for large ensembles… Under Gailey’s leadership, the KU Jazz Studies Program has received 25 DownBeat Student Music Awards since 1992.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Concert Review: Bukeka Shoals at Unity Temple on the Plaza

The last thing the members of Wednesday's audience of about 125 at Unity Temple on the Plaza expected to hear was hip-hop.  Yet Bukeka Shoals began her appearance at Spirituality and All That Jazz with a funky song that featured a rap segment.

The vocalist, flautist, songwriter, actor and motivational speaker also performed pop, gospel, R&B and contemporary jazz.  Assisted by keyboardist Angela Ward (and Ward’s 13-year-old son on drums for a selection or two), Shoals was full of surprises.

The senior citizens in the audience forgave Shoals for her foray into hip-hop during lovely readings of “My Funny Valentine” and “Do Nothing till You Hear From Me” and cheerfully clapped along to a lively version of “Respect.”  Saxophonist Jim Mair unleashed his inner King Curtis while bassist James Albright evoked Duck Dunn on the R&B standard.

A rendition of Shoals’ original composition ”Be Happy” was pleasing, but the evening’s most memorable selection was an emotional a cappella interpretation of a gospel song.

The concert began with a rendition of bandleader Tim Whitmer’s “Player Piano.”  The opening tune exemplified the primary appeal of the monthly series- toe-tapping, smile-inducing jazz accentuated by melodic solos.

The core group of Whitmer, Mair, Albright and drummer Jürgen Welge has entertained at the monthly Spirituality and All That Jazz concerts for more than 22 years.  Shoals rightfully commended the series' “amazing tradition” and suggested that “we ought to be proud that we have something that brings people together from all walks of life.”

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Karla Harris

Drummer Todd Strait has put together a project that pays tribute to the 1961 album Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderly.  The group includes the Atlanta based vocalist Karla Harris, saxophonist Jim Mair, pianist Roger Wilder and bassist Bob Bowman.  The embedded video contains footage from a 2008 gig in Portland that features Strait and Harris.  The tribute shows take on place Friday, July 24, at Take Five Coffee + Bar and at the Green Lady Lounge on Saturday, July 25.

Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon

The Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon compilation was one of the bestselling jazz albums of 1998.  I was reminded of the concept's enormous appeal during Kansas City Kansas Community College's Jazz at the Lake series last Thursday.

After surviving a white-knuckled drive through a torrential downpour and locating an alternate way into the campus after finding that high water had closed the primary entrance, I felt as if the college's lodge-like conference center was a jazz Valhalla.

The noontime set by vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, guitarist Ron Carlson, bassist Greg Clinkingbeard and New York-based drummer Grisha Alexiev might have sounded overly polite in a conventional jazz venue, but the homey setting amid an audience of about 40 made the performance seem unusually meaningful.

Carlson referenced the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" in his clever introduction to "Autumn Leaves," one of three selections that featured saxophonist Jim Mair.  Schlamb's playing on an interpretation of John Coltrane's "Central Park West" was gorgeous. 

Alexiev's vigorous effort kept the ballads from becoming treacly.  He added thunder to renditions of Milt Jackson's "Bags' Groove" and Sam Rivers' "Beatrice."

Let it rain.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Anita Dixon of the Mutual Musicians Foundation was interviewed by Joe Dimino for his Neon Jazz podcast.  The interview was also filmed.

*KC Jazz Lark praises and criticizes last month's jazz campaigns.

*A television station interviewed Kevin Mahogany at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.  The Prairie Village Post provides a recap of the event.

*A music blog suggests that the new single by Chris Hazelton's Boogaloo 7 is "a freight train of real deal jazz."

*The Project H was featured on the Local Listen segment of KCUR's Up to Date program.

*Gerald Wilson, an occasional Count Basie collaborator, has died.

*Tweet o' the Week: Ryan Heinlein- Thought you should know that we are still not on the iTunes jazz charts. Our CD is still very good.

*From Chris Hazelton: New release!  “The Chartreuse Woman” b/w “The Grand Avenue Get-Down,” 7-inch 45rpm single.  Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 is a funky, organ-driven, soul-jazz group that focuses on grooves reminiscent of the late-1960’s Blue Note and Prestige recordings. These grooves have been the backdrop for what has become a weekly sensation at Kansas City’s Green Lady Lounge on Friday nights. The two Hazelton originals featured on this new 45rpm single are salutes to the hip venue the group calls home.
Street Date: October 17th, 2014.

*From Jim Mair: Kansas City’s own Kicks Band will be headlining a big band benefit later this month to support the Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Band.  The “Tea Dance” is from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 in the ballroom of the Historic Lake of the Forest Club House, 100 Lake Forest in Bonner Springs... Tickets are $15 per person; $25 per couple or $100 for a table of eight… Proceeds from the event will help with costs of the KCKCCC Jazz Band's upcoming trip to the 30th-annual Havana Jazz Festival this December…

*From the Project H: As you may know, we are fortunate enough to be a part of Matt Otto's "Jazz Underground" series at the Westport Coffee House. We generally play the first Thursday of every month. We figured that there is so much talent in Kansas City (jazz and beyond) that we would like to start working with other musicians in the scene that we might not normally get to work with. We are excited to announce that out the October 2nd show will feature Miss Kelley Gant!

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark has kind words for the American Jazz Museum.

*Lisa Henry, Jim Mair and Doug Talley are among the musicians featured in a The Kansas City Star article about jazz education.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Sonny Rollins (!) for his Neon Jazz podcast.

*Tony Bennett's concert at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts was  reviewed by The Kansas City Star.

*A blogger calls Diverse's Our Journey a wise and prophetic classical jazzy journey.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Clint Ashlock muses on bandleading and composing in a new blog post.

*The Kansas City Star reports on a couple's plan to restore the castle-like structure at 2001 Vine Street.

*Tweet o' the Week: Kansas City Dates- LIKE JAZZ??? (kcmo) - I'm a single black man in my 50's and would like to meet a woman who is also single and … (link).

*Comment o' the Week: I'd like to thank the thoughtful Plastic Sax readers who point out typos and misprints.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark was the victim of an attempted mugging outside a jazz club.

*There was a shooting last Saturday night in the Jazz District.  (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

*Joe Dimino interviewed Ken Lovern for Neon Jazz.

*The Pitch plugs a performance featuring Megan Birdsall.

*An early review of the Pat Metheny Unity Group's Kin suggests that "for those who've missed the epic compositional work of Pat Metheny Group, this will be the closest they're likely to get…"

*Tweet o' the Week: Stacy- Jazz & seafood = Nice little Saturday evening! #gaslightgrill (photo)

*From a press release: Johnson County Community College has announced the performance schedule for the spring 2014 Jazz Series. The series, which brings to the stage some of Kansas City’s premiere jazz musicians, is now in its 25th year.  The recitals take place at noon Tuesday for six consecutive weeks, Feb. 25 to April 1. All performances, which are free and open to the public, are held in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center unless otherwise noted. Here is the lineup: Feb. 25 Mark Lowrey, March 4 Bill Crain Group, March 11 Lori Tucker Ensemble, March 18 Al Pearson Quartet,*Polsky Theatre, March 25 PBT featuring Rod Fleeman, April 1 Ron Carlson Group.

*From a press release: The University of Kansas Wind Ensemble, conducted by Paul W. Popiel, Director of Bands, and Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dan Gailey, Director of Jazz Studies, will present a shared concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Lied Center of Kansas.  The evening will begin with a special performance by KU Saxophone Quartet I, Vince Gnojek, director, of Tim Davies’ Krunch...  Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children, seniors and students.

*From a press release: MusiCares, in collaboration with the Folk Alliance Conference and Smiles Programs, The Mobile Dentists, will host a free dental clinic for music professionals.  (To qualify, participants must document at least five years of professional music career history.)  Eligible individuals will receive a complete dental exam, bitewing X-rays and a dental cleaning.  Please call MusiCares at 1.877.303.6962 to determine eligibility and request application materials.

*From Jim Mair: Details about The Kansas City Kansas Community College/Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Jazz Camp in June are here.

*From Mark Lowrey: I've been on a month long artist residency…  I return early next week.  And have a few fun things coming up… I'm starting a new band with Singers Dionne Jeroue and Eboni Fondren with drummer Ryan Lee and bassist Karl McComas-Riechl.  It's an r&b/soul/jazz project.  All the songs are about love and sex.  Re-invented covers from Fiona Apple, Esperanza Spalding, Donnie Hathaway, John Legend. etc… Official first show is at the Broadway Jazz Club March 22… Continuing regular weeklys: Sunday and Monday at the Majestic Restaurant: Mark Lowrey Trio 6-10pm; Wednesday (background) solo piano at Cafe Trio 6-9pm; Friday 4:30-8:30pm at the Phoenix with the Lonnie McFadden Trio; Friday later: Mark Lowrey Trio 9pm-12am at the Green Lady Lounge.   

(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.)

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

*Bob Barry, the man with the disruptively loud camera at events hosted by the American Jazz Museum, is  featured in The Kansas City Star.

*Boulevard Brewing will donate a portion of sales of its KC Pils brand to the American Jazz Museum.

*KC Jazz Lark takes another fascinating then-and-now look at the Jazz District.

*"All For a Song" is a musical about the late Myra Taylor.

*A jazz novice reports on the scene at Harling's during a performance by New Jazz Order.

*A writer for The Pitch highlights a forthcoming gig by the Rich Wheeler Quartet.

*Clint Ashlock is blogging.

*Tweet o' the Week: HappyInBag- Mark Lowrey, Bob Bowman and Sam Wisman are paying tribute to Mulgrew Miller at @TheMajesticKC . #kcjazz

*Comment o' the Week: KC Jazz Lark- Actually, I had several commentators and media sources in mind when writing the Kansrocksas comments. I was even thinking back to the 1980s, when a movie on jazz played for one night at The Bijou Theater, then in Westport Square. A then-music columnist for the KC Star wrote that few people showed up, proving nobody attends jazz events in Kansas City anymore (I'm paraphrasing). I wrote a letter to the editor, which The Star published, responding that maybe the sparse crowd proved nothing more than jazz fans don't see a lot of movies at The Bijou. Equating failed events to jazz is dead dates back a long time.

*From Jim Mair: The 12th annual week long Kansas City Jazz Camp held on the beautiful campus of Kansas City Kansas Community College wrapped up on Friday June 7 with a stellar final concert.  55 students, ages 11 to 71 from as far away as St. Louis along with a star studded faculty which included NPR Radio Host, Ludwig clinician and North Dakota Governor's Award winner percussionist Scott Prebys, Missouri Governor's Award winner and Kansas City Jazz icon Everette Devan, Kansas Governor's Award winner and Selmer saxophone clinician Doug Talley, three time Grammy nominee guitarist Rod Fleeman, and Kansas City's most versatile bassist, a master of all styles James Albright.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The 2013 edition of the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival includes Matt Otto, Stan Kessler with Kathleen Holeman, the Doug Talley Quartet and the Wild Men of Kansas City.  The free event takes place June 14-15 at Coleman Hawkins Park in St. Joseph, Missouri.

*The headliners of the fourth annual Jazz Winterlude are Terri Lyne Carrington and Arturo Sandoval.  The festival at Johnson County Community College is January 24-25.

*Deborah Brown was interviewed by Joe Dimino of Neon Jazz.

*Michael Pagán praises the Green Lady Lounge.

*Beau Bledsoe offers a fascinating peek behind the curtains at Fado Novato's successful fundraising campaign to finance an extended trip to Portugal.

*Jim Mair has been recognized for his work at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

*Hermon Mehari provides background about a young musician in legal trouble.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

*KC Jazz Lark commends the vitality of Kansas City's jazz scene while taking an apparent swipe at the author of this blog.  Noting the cancelation of Kanrocksas, my good friend implies that had the festival been a jazz-oriented event, I would be "wetting myself" in a rush to "morbidly declare jazz is dead."  The failure of the rock/hip hop/EDM-oriented Kanrocksas to sell 25,000 advance tickets at $200 a pop bears no relationship to the "lively but peaceful" status of a handful of small-capacity jazz venues.  I reject the notion that I "hold the mortality of jazz to a different standard."  Just last night, almost 2,000 fans paid $40 each to hear the XX- a band with rock, hip hop and EDM elements- perform at the Uptown Theater.  The harsh reality is that far less than 2,000 people will attend jazz live jazz performances in the Kansas City area during the first ten days of June.

*In response to the previous Plastic Sax post about Charlie Parker, T.J. Martley kindly reminded the excitable author of this blog of his video transcription of "Little Willie Leaps."

*UMKC's Jazz Camp is June 23-27.

*Dean Minderman of St. Louis Jazz Notes analyzes the outstanding 2013-14 season of Jazz St. Louis.  Highlights include Rudresh Mahanthappa, Joe Lovano's Us Five and the Bad Plus.

*Here's a promotional video for the Parkville River Jam, Jazz, Blues and Fine Arts Festival.

*Tweet o' the Week: Kyle Broussard- If @jpwayman post 1 more time about jazz in the woods I am un-following him.

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- I made it 90 seconds before I turned it off, but that's because I was distracted, shoving needles in to my gonads and extinguishing cigarettes on my forearm.  (A less acerbic discussion is taking place here.)

*Clint Ashlock reports that his gig at Take Five Coffee + Bar this Saturday, June 8, features "a new project called Forward."  The band includes Ashlock, Ryan Lee, Michael Shults, Andrew Ouellette and Karl McComas-Reichl "doing all original stuff."

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The American Jazz Museum has unveiled the lineup for the 2013-14 season of Jammin' at the Gem.  It includes, Poncho Sanchez, Najee, the Newport 60th Anniversary Tour, Curtis Fuller and Bill Charlap.

*Leon Brady's new Kickstarter campaign is titled The Kansas City Percussion Project: Educating and Creating Musical Collaborations for Children and Seniors.

*Ryan Heinlein was interviewed by Joe Dimino of Neon Jazz.

*The history of The Pla-Mor is recounted by KCJazzLark.

*Nate Chinen provides insights into the interview he conducted with Pat Metheny and John Zorn.

*The one-time Oklahoman Champian Fulton recalls her relationship with Jay McShann in her entertaining blog.

*Ed Shaughnessy, a popular drummer who played with the likes of Count Basie,  has died.

*Tweet o' the Week: Dana A. Coleman- TODAY IN BLACK HISTORY: Andy Kirk was born on this date in 1898. He was an African American musician, composer…

*Comment o' the Week: Toby Tucker- Very well said Hap!
Toby

*From Jim Mair: Dan DeLuca lost his battle with Leukemia on Saturday May 25. Dan had an encyclopedic knowledge of the American Popular Songbook. He new the original changes of all the tunes but at the same time played very logical and inventive substitution chords which always kept things fresh. He could play in any key and transpose in a split second. He could carve any tempo with virtuosity and clarity. His bass lines rivaled the best bass players. In five years of playing with him every weekend I was never able to anticipate how he would end a song. Every tune became a lesson in harmony and melodic lines. He personally increased my repertoire by at at least 150 tunes. We would often segue tunes together for over an hour using hand gestures to signal the key we were moving to. Three fingers down meant three flats or the key Eb. Five fingers up meant five sharps or the key B etc. He loved Bill Evans and one of his most favorite compositions was The Bad and the Beautiful by David Raksin.  He was a quiet giant of the piano.

*From a press release: How many artists can claim praise like "punk rock provocateur," "jazz vibraphone visionary" and "percussion master" in the same sentence? There's only one: Texas-native Mike Dillon. Whether it's through his affiliation with artists like Les Claypool and Ani DiFranco, collaborations like Garage A Trois, The Dead Kenny Gs and Critters Buggin or bands he's fronted, including Billy Goat and Hairy Apes BMX, Mike D (as fans refer to him) has set his own standard going on 25 years now.  His current full-time focus, The Mike Dillon Band, is perhaps the perfect storm of all these past experiences. Dillon's manic creative energy has found a foil in three young New Orleans-based musicians. Carly Meyers on trombone provides melodic and harmonic counterpoint to Dillon's vibes and percussion as she feverishly whirls about the stage driving audiences into a frenzy. The rhythm section of guitarist/bassist Cliff Hines and drummer Adam Gertner turns on a dime from blinding punk rock assaults to deep funk go-go, skanked-out ska grooves to old school hip-hop beats with all points covered in between.  The band performs at the Brick in Kansas City on June 28. 

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Westchase Grille, a Leawood restaurant that regularly featured live jazz, has closed.

*Joe Dimino recently interviewed bassist and composer Bill McKemy for his Neon Jazz program.

*The jazz scene in Kansas City is in the midst of a "relative calm," according to KCJazzLark.

*The Kansas City Star published a review of the Monterey Jazz Festival 55th Anniversary Tour performance at the Gem Theater.

*Here's a set of videos that document the Black House Collective's recent performance at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

*Jerry Dodgion, a veteran musician who's coming to town with Rob Scheps next week, is the subject of a feature by Joe Klopus. 

*Comment o' the Week: Cb- ... After a while, this becomes the case, no matter how much you love those tunes, it is still someone covering those artists' original work. I have simply come to the conclusion as an artist, to play more of my own music. I think that is a natural progression in modern jazz. At least it is what those above did.  Covering popular songs of the day is another matter. That has been don in every era. Remember Herbie Hancock doing it? Next Collective is doing a great job with the popular songs of their day. I think it is cool if that moves you.  But, in jazz, it does indeed come down to improvisation and the musical idiosyncrasies of the respective artists. There is no avoiding this paradigm, regardless the cyclical vehicle or song form we are discussing at the moment.  Just my $0.02. Peace, Cb

*Tweet o' the Week: Ambrose Akinmusire- Kansas City !!! #awwmannowitsgatestime

*From Pete Williams: Esteemed drummer Arnold Young plays at YJ's Snack Bar every Wednesday night, usually from 8 to 10, with guests TBD. Last night he played with Mark Southerland and myself.

*From Jim Mair: KCKCC Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos 1 and 2 directed by Jim Mair with the KC High school all stars directed by Hermon Mehari.  Wednesday April 3, 7:00 to 8:30pm.  Unity on the Plaza. Spirituality and all that Jazz.  $7.  The multi-award winning KCKCC Jazz Ensemble will headline the evening.  This 17 piece big band directed by Jim Mair recently received #1 ratings at the KU and Pittsburg State Jazz Festivals.  The KCKCC Jazz Combo 1 and 2 also directed by Mair will also perform. These groups also received # 1 ratings at at KU and Pitt State.  Topping off the evening will be the most acclaimed trumpeter in our town, Hermon Mehari leading the Kansas City High  School Jazz All Stars. This group was hand selected from the very best high school players in the metro.

*From Chris Hazelton: Chris Hazelton's Boogaloo 7 will be making it's debut at the Kill Devil Club on April 12th from 10pm-1am.  The group will be focusing on funky dance grooves popular in the late 60's and 70's a la Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Lonnie Smith, and will also have some original compositions and arrangements of recent pop tunes.  As of now, the entire repertoire is different from my trio except for one tune.  Here is the lineup: Nick Howell - Trumpet, Nick Rowland - Tenor Sax, Brett Jackson - Baritone Sax, Matt Hopper - Guitar, Kevin Frazee - Drums, Gary Helm - Congas & Percussion, Chris Hazelton - Hammond B-3 Organ

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Five locally-released albums are recommended by KCJazzLark.

*Downbeat offers a report on the First China Jazz Education Festival in Shanghai.  Clint Ashlock was among the participants.

*Grand Marquis is in the news for the whistle-blowing role its members played in an animal abuse scandal.

*Nextbop offers a preview of the Next Collective's forthcoming project featuring Logan Richardson.

*Chris Burnett recently updated his Tumblr.

*Tweet o' the Week: John Hilderbrand- Chris Botti is the best selling instrumental artist in America since 2004. That’s what my press release about his Blue Note residency says.

*Comment o' the Week: Jim Mair- Perhaps #12… The Kansas City Jazz Summit (last week of April) band and combo enrollment doubled for year number two. Our Kansas City Jazz Heritage big band competition sign ups went up 33%. The top two bands playing exclusively the music of Basie had a playoff format and the audience members were able to TEXT their vote for the winning band. The texting was worth 35% of there score. This is a first for a competitive jazz festival anywhere. One of our guitar students received a full ride to attend the Pat Metheny Guitar camp last summer. Good things happening in KCK! We are just scratching the surface. KCKCC is the place to be!!

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: It's our great pleasure to present a series of performances by bassist, composer and bon vivant Jeff Harshbarger in January and February at Take Five Coffee + Bar. Jeff performs with some of the most inventive musical groups in the country, and he'll bring a sampling of them for four performances in the intimate surroundings of what has become one of the Kansas City area's favorite listening rooms… So we're turning over four straight Saturday nights at Take Five to showcase the many faces of Jeff Harshbarger…

• Saturday, January 19 - 10:30pm to 12:30am: Alaturka- Join us for the official JCCC Jazz Winterlude After Party hosted by Alaturka. Jeff Harshbarger (bass), Brandon Draper (drums/percussion), Rich Wheeler (sax) and Beau Bledsoe (guitar) bring you Turkish jazz, and oh, how they bring it. Help us celebrate Kansas City's amazing jazz community. Mistura Fina with Shay Estes will play the earlier set, 8pm to 10pm.
• Saturday, January 27 - 8pm to 10pm: Snuff Jazz with Brian Haas- As if somehow the madness of Snuff Jazz weren't exciting enough on its own, on this night they add the frenetic energy of Brian Haas, whose piano drives Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and the Dead Kenny Gs. We're only kind of sure the roof won't come down.
• Saturday, February 2 - 8pm to 10pm: Sequel- This ferocious trio will play two sets of funk jazz by Medeski, Martin and Wood. It's Ken Lovern on keys and Brian Steever on drums joining Harshbarger for extended explorations into the deepest grooves.
• Saturday, February 9 - 8pm to 10pm: Jeff Harshbarger Quartet- Rich Wheeler on sax, Roger Wilder on piano, Mike Warren on drums. Serious jazz.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KCJazzLark previews Jazz Winterlude and offers brief reviews of T.J. Martley's new solo album and the debut release of the collaboration between Beau Bledsoe and Stan Kessler.

*The Baker Jazz Festival in Baldwin City, Kansas, is this weekend.

*You're in luck if you've been hankering to hear a robot read the Wikipedia entry about Kansas City jazz.

*Tweet o' the Week: ChrisHazeltonB3- Enjoying some spacey grooves by @theprojecth at @TakeFiveCoffee. I love Ryan's writing!

*Comment o' the Week:  Low Rider- Charisma is an important ingredient to any top tier performer. Depending on how you define the word of course. Is charisma in the eye of the beholder.  Diana Krall has a lot more charisma then Dee Dee. Dee Dee is hard to watch. She has these unorthodox mannerisms and gestures that distract from the music. Shirley Horn on the other hand had great charisma. Not what you would call glamorous though.  Karrin's voice has charisma but she looks awkward on the bandstand. Too macho perhaps.She translates better on recordings.  To me, Kurt Elling and Eddie Jefferson have charisma. Eddie had some funky mannerisms but he had an endearing quality. Kevin Mahogany, not so much.  Deborah is a fantastic musician, So is Marilyn Maye.  What separates the "big names" from the not household names?  Please weigh in.

*From Jim Mair: The Kansas City High School Jazz All Stars directed by Hermon Mehari will perform Wednesday November 14 from 7-8pm at Planet Sub at 75th and Quivira.  A Jazz Jam session will take place immediately following their performance until 9:00pm. The jam session is open to any interested high school students. 20% of all sales will benefit the Kansas City High School All Stars program.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Lisa Henry and the Kansas City Jazz Quintet at KCKCC

The multi-generational ensemble of saxophonist Jim Mair, trumpeter Hermon Mehari, pianist Charles Williams, bassist James Albright and drummer Michael Warren intrigued me, but the real reason I attended the closing concert of the Jazz Summit at Kansas City Kansas Community College was a rare opportunity to hear Lisa Henry. Yes, that Lisa Henry.

The vocalist has appeared infrequently in Kansas City in the last couple years. Her performance proved that area audiences have been deprived of a very fine talent. Approximately 50 people took in the sophisticated concert at the sonically pristine Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 27.

Like Deborah Brown, my pick for Kansas City's best jazz vocalist, Henry is clearly influenced by Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln. Yet Henry's voice isn't as rich and lustrous as Brown's. Henry compensates with an exceedingly intelligent approach. She knows precisely how to use her airier voice to pull songs through. Her "choo choo" scat on "Take the 'A' Train" never seemed cloying.  A knowing interpretation of "Body and Soul" injected new life into the stale standard.

Henry may have been the featured attraction, but the remainder of the band also shone. Henry repeatedly featured Albright in playfully competitive duets. Warren's elegant drumming elevated every selection. Mair's faultless solo on "Confirmation"- he introduced it as "a tune from Charlie Parker's sacred songbook"- reminded the audience of his immaculate tone. Mehari's brilliantly constructed solo on "Cherokee" proved that the media attention he's received in recent years hasn't impeded his development as an extraordinary jazz instrumentalist. (Here's an early example of the hype surrounding Mehari.) Williams' bluesy solos on "Summertime" opened the evening with flair.

The concert marked the conclusion of the week-long education-oriented Jazz Summit at KCKCC. Henry performs again Friday, May 4, at the Blue Room.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

A Brief Appreciation: The Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz Combo

Suggesting that it's not easy to replicate this is a gross understatement. Yet under the direction of Jim Mair these Kansas City Kansas Community College students get it done. Impressive.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Three Stories, a new solo piano album by Eldar, was released April 5.

*KCJazzLark reports that the Mutual Musicians Foundation continues to pack 'em in.

*Michael Pagan and Millie Edwards are throwing a CD release party Thursday, April 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Jardine's.

*Pat Metheny receives lavish praise from The Guardian. The guitarist also announced a tour of "intimate venues" with bassist Larry Grenadier this fall. There's no word on a hometown date in Kansas City.

*A blogger shares his notes on a recent Snuff Jazz performance.

*Another blogger wrote a mini-review of a recent performance by Roger Wilder's band at the Blue Room.

*A French blogger raves about Diverse.

*As of 5:35 a.m. April 13, a "$20-buys-$40" Groupon deal for Jardine's was still available.

*The Lied Center created a promotional video for Thursday's concert featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band.

*Does James Farm, a new jazz supergroup, have a Kansas City-area connection? NPR's Patrick Jarenwattananon speculates.

*The locally-based author of Contemporary Jazz laments the elimination of the Contemporary Jazz Grammy Award.

*A new post at the blog of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra promotes an April 29 appearance by Gary Foster.

*Tweet o' the Week: KCJazzLark: Folly Theater is tweeting! I've criticized @THEFOLLYTHEATER for ignoring social media & now welcome them. First tweet? Karrin Allyson show.

*From Jim Mair: Bands from a three-state area will be descending on Kansas City Kansas Community College for the first Kansas City Jazz Summit April 25-30. For six days – from Monday through Saturday – some of the best young musicians in the Midwest will be performing along with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Quintet and the Kansas City High School Jazz All-Stars. Twenty-four high school and college bands and two jazz choirs from Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas will be adjudicated by members of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and other leading jazz educators from the Kansas City area Thursday through Saturday.

*From Jim Mair: The unbeatable combination of great jazz and great barbecue will be the order of the night for the annual Jazz Cabaret at Kansas City Kansas Community College Thursday, April 28. One of the highlights of the first ever Jazz Summit to be held on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue, the Cabaret will kick off at 5 p.m. with a “Mocktail Happy Hour” featuring jazz vocalists in the lower level of the Jewell Center. Details are here.

*The 2011-12 season of the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College has been announced. It includes Ambrose Akinmusire, one of the most buzzed-about names in jazz. Here's a list of the jazz-related events in the series: 9/30- The Miles Davis Experience featuring the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet 11/12- Max Weinberg; 12/03 Turtle Island Quartet; 12/16- Burning River Brass Band; 1/21- Poncho Sanchez.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Jeff Davis, perhaps best known for his association with Sir Threadius Mongus, gave me permission to link to a new track titled "A Thread". The lineup is Matt Otto - tenor, Andrew McGhie - tenor, Russell Thorpe - bass clarinet, Jeff Davis - guitar and composition, Mike Stover - bass and Pat Adams - drums. This amazing music is particularly pertinent considering recent heated discussions like this about what constitutes the true sound of Kansas City jazz in 2011.

*Diana Krall and Itzhak Perlman will perform with the Kansas City Symphony on September 17, the "grand opening night" of Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center.

*Andrew Mcghie is featured in an interview at the Black House Improvisors' Collective site.

*The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has a new president.

*Typically great photos of Matt Otto's group are shared by KCJazzLark.

*Bill Blankenship offers a roundup of live jazz in Topeka.

*Kansas City pianist Ronald Brown has died.

*Big show announcements and reminders: The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey kick off a tour at Crosstown Station on Wednesday, March 30. The legendary Benny Golson will appear at the Blue Room on Friday, April 1. Joe Lovano plays the Folly Theater on Saturday, April 2. Kerry Strayer's 17-piece big band will be at Jardine's on Sunday, April 3. The Jeff Hamilton Trio perform at Jardine's on May 20 & 21. Marilyn Maye returns to Jardine's for an extended run June 14-19.

*We!, a jazz-related performance art piece, was reviewed by Tim Finn.

*An artist, an art gallery, a magazine and musician Sonny Simmons combine forces in an unusual homage to Charlie Parker.

*The Telegraph featured Joe Lovano's tribute to Charlie Parker.

*Tweet o' the Week: Kmahogany: Clyde Stubblefield is killing it on Jimmy Fallon show!!

*Nicholas Payton retweeted Clint Ashlock.

*Press release via Stan Kessler: The 4th Annual Masters of KC Jazz Fundraiser for Kansas City Youth Jazz is really going to be hopping this year as the organization is throwing a Big Band Dinner Dance featuring The Abel Ramirez Big Band, with special performances by the KCYJ Reno Band and combos. The dinner and dance will take place on Sunday, April 10, 2011, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at The Madrid Theater... Details are here.

*From Jim Mair: The Kansas City High School All Star Jazz Ensemble will perform at Jardines on Tuesday April 5 at 5:30pm. Also included on the bill are “The Standard” Vocal Jazz ensemble from KCKCC and the KCKCC Jazz Combo. The Kansas City High School All Star Jazz Ensemble is made up of All State and All District Jazz students from across the metro. Although groups like this exist all over the continent this is actually a first for Kansas City...

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)