Album Review: Michael Pagán and Greg Carroll- 2+2

The collaboration between vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Chick Corea is one of the most spellbinding partnerships in jazz.  Greg Carroll and Michael Pagán conjure similarly appealing- albeit considerably less adventurous- magic on their new album 2+2.

Pagán, one of Kansas City’s most formidable pianists, teaches at Ottawa University.  The fine vibraphonist Carroll is the former CEO of the American Jazz Museum.  Carroll adds marimba, drums and percussion accents to 2+2.  Bass and additional keyboards are provided by Pagán.

The formalists play with assured elegance on graceful tracks like “Hawk Watcher” and “Oak Tree.”  The enchanting spell is broken only on the cringeworthy closing selection “Now’s the Time: To Pay For Jazz.”  Assuming jive voices, the men demand that the people of Kansas City “stop forgetting about the jazz.”  It’s a grating conclusion to an otherwise stately recording.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Basement Beat, a new album by Chris Hazelton's Boogaloo 7, and a separate single release of an interpretation of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ “100 Days, 100 Nights (Pt. 1&2)”, will be issued in July.

*Eddie Moore took part in a 88-minute conversation with Rob Foster.

*Bobby Watson will receive the Don Redman Jazz Heritage Award in West Virginia on Saturday, June 30.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Angela Burkett- Why can't ppl stop vandalizing our stuff. 18th and Vine District is trying to revive itself.

*From a press release: Denver, Colorado's vocal jazz pride and joy - Teresa Carroll - will appear at the Black Dolphin, The Phoenix, and Chaz on the Plaza on July 16, 17, & 18, respectively… Her appearances in Kansas City will reunite her with pianist Michael Pagan, with whom she worked in Colorado from 1998-2005.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Kansas City Star and KCUR reported on the death of Kevin Mahogany.

*The 2018 edition of the Jazz in the Woods festival has been canceled.  Event organizers blame the setback on “funding restrictions.”

*Stan Kessler was interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*The Kansas City Star provides footage of a “Merry Bassmass” event at the Black Dolphin.

*Michael Pagán, the Music Department Chair at Ottawa University, discusses the institution’s “All-Steinway” designation.

*The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra’s annual holiday concert was previewed in KCUR’s Band of the Week segment.

*Mike Corrigan created a crowd-funding campaign to acquire John Jackson’s saxophone.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Marcus Lewis- Who said Jazz is Dead? #mlbb #brassandboujee

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous- Good choice. John Scott has done so much to invigorate the scene... and despite what some cynics will say, it's not all B3!

*From a press release: World-traveled vocalist Deborah Brown will be the Jan. 28 featured artist as part of the Carlsen Center Presents series at Johnson County Community College… Brown has recorded 16 CD’s under her own name...  Performing with her in Polsky Theatre are… Rod Fleeman, guitar; Joe Cartwright, piano; Ben Leifer, bass; and Michael Warren, drums.

(Original image of the Hermon Mehari Quintet performing at Polsky Theatre on Sunday by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Pitch reports on the shuttering of Broadway Kansas City.  KC Jazz Lark ponders the closing.

*Natalie Gallagher documents a memorable night at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

*Joe Klopus decodes the “JazzAlice” project.

*KCUR featured a track from Ron Carlson’s new album in a Local Listen segment.

*The New York townhouse that was once Charlie Parker’s home is on the market for $9,250,000.  I wrote about visiting the site earlier this year.

*Hmph was interviewed on KCUR’s Up to Date program.

*Pat Metheny took the honors at the top guitarist in the Downbeat Reader’s Poll.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Brett Jackson- Live recording with the #boogaloo7 at the #greenladylounge tonight. Come lay down your best tracks with us!!

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous- Maybe more people would come to these gigs if even the least little attempt was made to promote the show. Your review was the first I'd heard of it.

*From Michael Pagán: I am pleased to announce the residency of Thomas Knific in Kansas City next weekend. Tom is a seasoned  bassist who has performed with a long list of music luminaries. He is Director of Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University (in Kalamazoo)… He is an accomplished composer, performer, and master teacher… Knific will work with students in the jazz program of Ottawa university on Friday October 30 and perform at the Blue Room in Kansas City that night (8:30 PM) in a quartet led by Michael Pagán with clarinetist John Blegen and guitarist Rod Fleeman. On Saturday Oct. 31st, he will present a duo masterclass/concert with fellow bassist Bob Bowman (KC location TBA).

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KC Jazz Lark suggests that the audience at last month’s Prairie Village Jazz Festival numbered 5,000 in the text accompanying a second photo set documenting the event,

*Michael Pagán is among Joe Dimino’s recent interview subjects.

*Ryan Heinlein was interviewed by Wichita’s NPR station.

*A blogger shares his notes about his favorite R&B and blues performances at the 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival.  A commenter disagreed with the plea for more jazz: "To much Jazz outside stage, needed more up beat music… Seemed like to much music for such a small attendance."

*A video for “Slow” provides another preview of Logan Richardson’s forthcoming album Shift.

*Angela Hagenbach is participating in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.

*Dominique Sanders has released X-Life, a collaboration with Leonard Dstroy that’s billed as “an amazing journey between Hip-Hop, Jazz, Soul, and R&B."

*Tweet o’ the Week: John Hilderbrand- A belated RIP to Larry Rosen. I was such a huge fan of GRP Records.

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous: I don't get it. Conrad Herwig is one heck of a trombonist but he is not going to sell a single ticket to the 18th and Vine Festival. Well, maybe one or two and thats a big maybe.

*From Ron Carlson: The new seven part Fall Jazz Series starts this week at The Art Factory!  The Art Factory is located at 5621 W 135th St in Overland Park, KS (at the SouthWest corner of 135th and Nall Ave).  Bob Bowman is featured on four of the seven events, each time with different groups.  The full calendar is available at The Art Factory.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Michael Pagán- The Ottawa Sessions

I’m a slow learner.  The prospect of a new Michael Pagán album rarely makes me giddy, but I’m invariably floored by the high quality of each release by the pianist, composer and bandleader.

The Ottawa Sessions is no different.  In fact, it may be Pagán’s best effort to date.

The recording featuring Pagán, Bob Bowman and Brian Steever isn’t just another homage to the Bill Evans Trio.  In pairing of the dean of Kansas City jazz bassists with a rambunctious young drummer, Pagán has crafted  an energetic piano trio album that’s loaded with surprises. 

Not a single moment of the thirteen-minute reading of “Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise” is redundant.  Rather than resembling the deferential background murmurings of a cocktail lounge trio, the men play with brash assertiveness.  A rollicking reading of “Lullaby of the Leaves” and the playful “Kalamara Rex” are just as fun.

In hindsight, it should have been immediately apparent that The Ottawa Sessions would be an essential document of Kansas City’s mainstream jazz scene.  I’ll be ready next time.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Doug and Lori Chandler, Plastic Sax's People of the Year in 2013, have announced that Take Five Coffee + Bar will close following a performance on August 15.  A portion of their statement is at the bottom of this post.   The Pitch, The Kansas City Star and KCUR reported on the closure.   Clint Ashlock and KC Jazz Lark comment on the disappointing news.

*The headliners of the American Jazz Museum’s 18th & Vine Jazz & Blues Festival on October 10 are the Family Stone, Conrad Herwig, Popa Chubby and Dwele.

*The Ottawa Sessions, a piano trio album featuring Michael Pagán, Bob Bowman and Brian Steever, is available now.

*An editorial in The Kansas City Star suggests that the American Jazz Museum “should play a more vital and inspiring role in the city than it has.”

*The Pitch touts a gig by Peter Schlamb’s Electric Tinks.

*The Jorge Arana Trio created a 30-second trailer for its forthcoming album.

*Bobby Watson performed the National Anthem at a public ceremony last week.

*The lineup of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival (in New York) includes the Oliver Lake Big Band, Andy Bey, Rudresh Mahanthappa and Myra Melford.

*Tweet o’ the Week: HNIC… again- He must be trying to get ideas for his side chick cause I'm not going to a jazz lounge.

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous- To each his own. I currently prefer any type of replication of 1955-era swing to a flawed version of jazz-informed R&B!

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated.

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: We are very sad to have to make this announcement, but Take Five is going to be taking an indefinite “set break” (in other words, we’re closing our doors) effective August 15… Thank you all for participating in the creation of a community unlike any other in this part of the city… Thank you again to those who supported us, cheered us on, became regulars, brought others to be regulars, sat breathless in front of Trio M, Bobby Watson, Avishai Cohen and the immense talent of our Kansas City jazz scene.  We are proud of what we accomplished, and there’s more to be done.  We’re just Taking Five.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: The Mike Pagán Big Band

The Mike Pagán Big Band features what the bandleader describes as a “who’s who of Kansas City jazz.”  A portion of the ensemble’s May 23 performance at the Bob James Jazz Festival is documented in the embedded video.  The big band performs next at Piropos in Briarcliff on June 13 at 2 p.m.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle created a video for their cover of Erykah Badu’s “Time’s a Wastin’”.  The collective was also featured in a Local Listen segment on KCUR.

*KC Jazz Lark uploaded a vintage Pete Eye album featuring Bob Branstetter and Tommy Ruskin to YouTube.  Why does this seem eerily familiar to me?

*Hermon Mehari is featured in a 435 Magazine profile.

*Zack Albetta was the subject of a KCUR story about moving from Kansas City to Los Angeles.

*The Wrong Kata Trio was documented in a Live @ KJHK session.

*The Prism Quartet, an ensemble that includes Zach Sherman, Assistant Professor of Saxophone at UMKC’s Conservatory of Music and Dance, has released Heritage/Evolution, an album that includes contributions from today’s top jazz saxophonists and conceptualists including Rudresh Mahanthappa and Miguel Zenón.  (Tip via M.S.)

*The Jorge Arana Trio and the Project H will perform at the 2015 edition of the Middle of the Map festival.

*Randy Weston is among Joe Dimino’s latest interview subjects.

*Tweet o’ the Week: The Project H- We enjoy playing 4 people who might not normally seek us out. Between @folkalliance and @motmfest we should be good in that dept this Spring

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous- The July 4 lineup for the Iowa City Jazz festival is killer! Why can't KC have that?

*From the American Jazz Museum: "Women have always played a significant role in developing the music through creative compositions, stellar performances and their work behind the scenes in presenting the music.  Unfortunately, these contributions have gone either unrecognized or were written out of the history books. The American Jazz Museum takes pride in shinning the light on their fabulous efforts", states Gregory A. Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of the American Jazz Museum… Highlights of this year’s programs include: 18 performances in the Award-Winning Blue Room jazz club, featuring local, regional and national women jazz artists.

*From Michael Pagán: Join us for a performance of the NU All-Star Jazz Quartet, a group of four distinguished jazz performers and educators with degrees from Northwestern University. This event will take place at the prestigious Blue Room… on Thursday, February 12th, 7-11pm.  The quartet features Tim Aubuchon, saxophone; Michael Pagán, piano; Hans Sturm, bass; Michael Brothers, drums… This event is free and open to the public.

*From Johnson County Community College: The spring 2015 season of the JCCC Jazz Series will kick off Tuesday, Feb. 24, with a group called the Clint Ashlock Trio. The series, which showcases the talents of local jazz musicians, is free and open to the public. Performances will take place at noon on Tuesdays for seven consecutive weeks. They will be held in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center unless otherwise noted. Feb. 24- The Music of Chet Baker, Clint Ashlock Trio. March 3- Pam Baskin-Watson Quartet. March 10- Bryan Hicks and Rod Fleeman. March 17- Rich Hill Organ Trio (Polsky Theatre). March 24- Chris Clarke Trio. March 31- 3 X 2. April 7- Passport.

*From Beau Bledsoe: Alaturka  announces their first performance of 2015 at the recordBar with special guest percussionist, John Kizilarmut.  Tuesday, Feb 10th 7pm.  Alaturka was formed in 2009 with the vision of creating an equal “auditory handshake” between two musical cultures, American jazz and Turkish classical music… Rich Wheeler tenor  - saxophone. Beau Bledsoe  - oud, guitar. Jeff Harshbarger -  bass. Brandon Draper  - percussion. Special guest: John Kizilarmut - percussion. $15 advance $18 door.

*From Take Five Coffee + Bar: … we'll be running dinner specials for each show.  Friday, February 6, 8pm: Music by the Rich Wheeler Quartet… a powerhouse jazz ensemble… Rich Wheeler on tenor saxophone, TJ Martley on piano, Bill McKemy on bass and Sam Wisman on drums.  $5 cover.  What's for dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast with Spinach and Mushrooms in a Dijon cream sauce with wild rice and vegetable medley, $11.95. Saturday, February 7, 8pm: Parallax- …Stan on trumpet and flugelhorn, Roger Wilder on Fender Rhodes piano, Bill McKemy on upright and electric basses and sousaphone, and BOTH Ryan Lee and Brian Steever on drums and cymbals and whatnot. It’s a project that… takes everyone along for the ride, like in some kind of twin-engined pan-galactic space yacht. $5 cover. What's for dinner: Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo, $12. 95. Sunday, February 8, 10am - 2pm: Sunday Jazz Brunch: Ben Leifer-  Ben Leifer is one of Kansas City’s most in-demand jazz bassists, an e. Come feast on Waffles Benedict, Mimosas… No cover.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The Ship, long a shadowy refuge of fortunate insiders, has gone legit.  The jazz-friendly West Bottoms venue at 1217 Union Avenue is now "generally open for business Tuesday-Saturday 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. with occasional closings on the weekends for private events."  Live music "Pleasure Cruises" begin at 10 p.m. on Thursdays.  The Project H is featured this week.

*The Pitch has posted the ballot for its 2014 Pitch Music Awards.  The nominees for best jazz ensemble are Chris Hazelton's Boogaloo 7, Eboni and the Ivories, Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle, the Peter Schlamb Quintet and Project H.  The nominees for best jazz solo artist are Brett Jackson, Hermon Mehari, Matt Otto, Megan Birdsall and Shay Estes.

*The Pitch calls radio program 12th Street Jump "a weekly hour of bad jokes and exceptional jazz."

*Tweet o' the Week: Coleman Hawkins Jazz- “@theprojecth: Project H is nominated for a @TheFastPitch music award again. Go vote!” Come out and see them Friday night downtown #stjomo

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- 'free' means we don't really have to give a sh*t about it.. i'm here for the booze and to schmooze with my boss and his cronies" and commenter 1021, you forgot to add "hordes of affluent mostly white people' f*cking hipsters and their irony..

*From Michael Pagán: The newly assembled Mike Pagán Big Band will perform Saturdays June 14th and July 12th, 2pm-5pm at Piropo’s Piano Bar. The 18-piece ensemble will feature some of the premier jazz musicians of the region playing new, never-before-heard music. Wait till you see and hear who's in this band! There is a jazz jam session at Piropo's every Saturday that has been going for over a year. Piropo’s is located in the Briarcliff Village Shopping Center, 4141 N. Mulberry Drive, KCMO.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Pete Weber has informed Plastic Sax of forthcoming live tapings of 12th Street Jump featuring prominent guest artists.  They include Karrin Allyson on September 16, Kevin Mahogany on November 27 and Bobby Watson on December 20.  Each event will be held at Unity on the Plaza.

*The Village Voice hails Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker, the first volume of Stanley Crouch's forthcoming biography of Bird.

*Stephen Butler created a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a Bobby Watson-related project.

*Poncho Sanchez will be featured in a "special artist talk" at the American Jazz Museum at 2 p.m. on Friday, September 6.  The event is "free and open to the public."  Sanchez performs at the Blue Room Friday evening.

*KC Jazz Lark shares a few general observations about the region's jazz scene.

*Greg Carroll of the American Jazz Museum was included in KCUR's panel discussion about "The Impact of Latin American Music".  The museum is currently hosting the American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music exhibit. 

*The Black House Collective is  preparing for its new music festival.

*Steve Paul captured a portion of the recent performance by Matt Otto's Shoe-Less Joe at the Blue Room.

*Today is the deadline for contributions to a Kickstarter campaign intended to raise funds for a theatrical production based on the life of Myra Taylor.  With 11 hours remaining, $1,157 of the $14,000 goal had been pledged.

*Russell Thorpe proposes a different sort of blindfold test.

*Ben Ratliff reviewed last weekend's Charlie Parker Jazz Festival for The New York Times. And here's a photo set documenting the event.

*Hermon Mehari demonstrates a trumpet for B.A.C. Horn Doctor.

*Tweet o' the Week: Troy Diggs- KC folks: I see that the former Outa Bounds is being flipped into a jazz club? I'm intrigued. Anybody know more?

*Comment o' the Week: Sam- thanks for Bobby blindfold test...great stuff.

*From a press release: Saxophonist-composer-producer-educator Bobby Watson is proud to release, Check Cashing Day, the second self-produced recording on Watson's label, Lafiya Music. The project, which honors the March on Washington's 50th anniversary and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have A Dream" speech, is now available digitally (August 28, 2013) and will be released physically on November 12, 2013.  As Watson reflects, Check Cashing Day serves as "a commentary on where we've been, where we are, and where we need to go as a people, as a country, and as a global community." Instead of focusing on the iconic "I Have A Dream" aspect of Dr. King's speech, Watson chose to concentrate on another very significant part: the reason why over 300,000 people, black and white, gathered in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. Dr. King spoke of coming to Washington to cash a 100 year old check, a moral check that the founding fathers wrote into the Declaration of Independence, but to this day, the check keeps coming back marked 'insufficient funds.' "This, being the year of my 60th birthday, I sadly understand that Dr. King's dream has not been fully realized and the struggle continues," says Watson.  Introducing poet and spoken word artist Glenn North from Kansas City, MO, Check Cashing Day is a concept recording with 15 tracks portrayed in the vein of musical theatre. "I asked Glenn to put some poetry, from his perspective, to several of my compositions, as well as one written by vocalist Pamela Baskin-Watson and two by bassist Curtis Lundy," comments Watson. "It was my desire with this project to produce poetry that would in some ways cleanse the soul," notes North. In addition, Watson's release features trumpeter Hermon Mehari, pianist Richard Johnson, drummer Eric Kennedy, flutist Horace Washington, and trombonist Karita Carter.  With Watson's commentary on the ongoing struggle of todays racial inequalities spotlighted on compositions such as the title track "Check Cashing Day (For Ms. Trudy)" and "MLK on Jazz (Love Transforms)," he offers a recording that provokes positive conversation and continued movement towards Dr. King's 'dream,' so that the 'dream' becomes a reality in today's world. "The result is something more powerful and thought provoking than I could have imagined," concludes Watson.

*From Ron Carlson: Enjoy the cool sounds of jazz vibraphone as New York City meets Kansas City!  New York City musicians Diana Herold and Grisha Alexiev team up with Kansas City musicians Ron Carlson and Greg Clinkingbeard for an evening of original material and classic jazz standards! Diana and Grisha are veterans of the New York music scene and have lots of music and stories to share.  Percussionist Diana Herold has received graduate degrees from the New England Conservatory and Rice University.  Adept at performing both improvised and non-improvised music, Diana has worked and traveled abroad with musicians such as Yo Yo Ma, Kenny Wheeler, Alex Rostotsky, Buddy DeFranco, Ray Brown, Wynton Marsalis, They Might Be Giants and the Joint Chiefs. She has performed in multiple Broadway shows including the Lion King, off-Broadway shows, several orchestras and leads her own latin and jazz groups featuring her original compositions.  Grisha Alexiev has been playing drums for over forty years and has written more than 400 compositions. He has performed with a variety of artists including Archie Bell, Ken Werner, Sinfonia of Auckland New Zealand, Sam Rivers, Sandy Weston, Marty Ehrlich, Julius Hemphill, John Cage, Arnett Cobb, Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton and Richard Stoltzman.  Grisha has been commissioned by dance companies and is recorded on the Jazz Club, Rounder, Soul-note and Mapleshade labels.  Diana Herold / Grisha Alexiev Quartet --- Diana Herold (vibes), Grisha Alexiev (drums), Ron Carlson (flute, guitar) and Greg Clinkingbeard (bass).  Friday, Sept 6th, Lucky Brewgrille, 6-9 pm, No cover.  Saturday, Sept 14th, Take Five Coffee Bar, 8-10pm, $5 cover.

*From a press release: The American Jazz Museum received email notification last evening that The Blue Room has been named among Ingram's, "Best of Kansas City" winners again this year in the Jazz or Blues Club category.

*From Mike Pagan: Tickets for this Sunday's Dueling Piano Summit concert have been reduced to $25.00 each, effective immediately. Tickets at the door the day of the show will be $35.00. Individuals who purchased a ticket at the $50 price will receive a refund of $25.00 per ticket. Contact Michael Pagán at 816.589.9384 for further info.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*George Duke, the headliner of the forthcoming 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival, died Monday.  From the American Jazz Museum: The American Jazz Museum Staff and Board of Directors send deepest sympathies to the family and friends during this time of enormous loss. Mr. Duke was slated to be our headliner for Kansas City’s 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival on October 12. With the advent of this news, our festival management team is in the process of adjusting our 2013 talent lineup accordingly. A festival talent line up update will be announced as soon as possible. Thank you for your kind consideration.

*The Topeka Jazz Workshop has announced its 2013-14 schedule.  The Topeka Capitol-Journal has the story.

*Joe Klopus' acknowledgement of the scorn heaped upon Charlie Parker by many area residents has gained a lot of traction.

*Kerry Strayer is remembered by KC Jazz Lark.

*Sarah Gish of The Kansas City Star wrote a feature about Take Five Coffee + Bar.

*Chris Burnett reconnects with a friend and mentor.

*T.J. Martley demonstrates a practice exercise based on Charlie Parker's "Chi-Chi."

*12th Street Jump offers another episode of "Blues In the News."

*Harry Connick, Jr. will perform at the Midland on November 17.

*Tweet o' the Week: MBIRDMUSIC: Im sad but grateful for life...appreciating the legacy and inspiration left by a friend and fellow musician #kerrystrayer

*Comment o' the Week: Peter Lawless: There is also an assumption in this piece that the rock musicians are not in "for the music. Period." It's a common form of jazz snobbery, saying, "if they really cared about music, they'd be playing jazz."  Jake played in several rock bands in KC and Lawrence while he was here. My guess would be that, at that time, he probably made more money playing jazz gigs than rock shows.  You're comparing playing local restaurants and jazz clubs to touring internationally with one of the most famous rock bands in the world. You're sort of saying, "I'm so glad people commit themselves to playing week nights at the Blue Room, instead of touring with Herbie Hancock."  Jake is in a special position. There are plenty of locally-based rock musicians who play for small crowds and make little money, and they are just as committed as the jazz musicians playing for crowd and making little money.

*From Paul Shinn: It pleases us to announce the release of the trio's first studio album entitled "Reason Pure." This album contains solely original music music and arrangements that the trio has been working on for the past few months. We will be playing music from the album throughout the night and CDs will be available for purchase ($15) that we can sign copies of during set breaks.  This will be the final performance of the Paul Shinn Trio in the Kansas City area for a while as Paul will be re-locating to Colorado to continue his studies; however, the group plans to stay together for tours and festivals throughout the KC area and elsewhere. Unlike the video performance recording, this will be a public event, so feel free to stop by anytime between 7 and 10pm and invite anyone you think would enjoy this music!

*From a press release: Piropo’s Piano Bar in Briarcliff Village will be the site of the second annual Dueling Piano Summit to be held Sunday, September 8th 2012 at 3:00 PM. The two-piano concert will last two hours. Participating in the event will be the same musicians as last year – pianists Roger Wilder, Joe Cartwright, Michael Pagán, and Bram Wijnands. The performers will match up in different combinations and play two-piano jazz for approximately two hours. Proceeds will benefit Alzheimer’s Association Heart of America Chapter…  Tickets can be reserved in advance for $50.00 by calling 816.589.9384 or by emailing michaelpagan6@gmail.com and for $60.00 at the door the day of the show. Seating is limited and cannot be guaranteed for those buying tickets at the door.  Advance purchase is strongly recommended...

*From Take Five Coffee: Friday evening, we have a trio of KC jazz masters delivering the truth in sound. Bassist Gerald Spaits continues to be one of the standard-setters in a town packed with outrageous talent on the instrument. His trio with Charles Perkins on saxophone and Arnold Young on drums and cymbals shows what happens when artists of that caliber work together over many years - intuitive interplay seasoned with complete command of the material.  Saturday evening, singer Shay Estes brings the Latin spice. Fresh back from her travels in Portugal with Fado Novato, Shay will lead us deep into the bewitching melodies of Brazilian jazz. With Mark Lowrey and Doug Auwater as guides, we're likely to find the flavors only the locals know.

(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

*Eldar Djangirov is the subject of an excellent new 30-minute video profile produced by the Voice of America.

*Chuck Haddix of KCUR and the Marr Sound Archives was interviewed by The Kansas City Star.

*KCJazzLark provides a comprehensive survey of last Saturday's performances at Jazz Winterlude.

*The Kansas City Star published a review of the James Carter Organ Trio's appearance at the Folly Theater.  Kristin Shafel Omiccioli's review notes that the concert was "woefully under-attended."

*Chris Burnett laments the sheepish promotional approach of many jazz musicians.

*T.J. Martley's "Jazz Piano Lesson #38" is the 108th video uploaded to his YouTube channel. 

*A new segment of 12th Street Jump's Blues In the News sends up current events.

*Tweet o' the Week: RappersIKnow- Stream Dat! Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle — The Freedom of Expression for stream now, for download Friday! (link)

*Comment of the Week: Mike Metheny- Stan has been an important friend and colleague since our student days as trumpeters in the KC Youth Symphony 46 years ago (I look my age, Stan does not). And like I told him recently, he is now at the top of his game and playing better than ever. This is a beautiful CD. (And bravo, Beau.)

*From Michael Pagán: Remember those jazz jam sessions in Kansas City on Saturday afternoons? They're back!  Piropos Piano Bar (in Briarcliff shopping center).  4141 N. Mulberry Dr. KCMO.  Saturdays 2pm-5pm.  Beginning this Sat. Feb. 2nd 2013.  Michael Pagán, piano.  Bob Bowman, bass.  Brian Steever, drums.  Singers, horn players, all instrumentalists are welcome! Full bar and menu.

*From a press release: The lineup for the free JCCC Jazz Series for Spring 2013 has been announced by Johnson County Community College. The performances, which display the talents of some of the best local jazz musicians, will take place at noon Tuesday for six weeks from Feb. 26-April 2. All performances are held in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center unless otherwise noted. Here's the lineup: Feb. 26- Greg Meise Trio; March 5-  Danny Embrey, guitar; Jerry Hahn, guitar; March 12- Horacescope; March 19- Bram Wijnands Trio; March 26- Andre Ouellette Trio; April 2- Paul Smith, Bob Bowman and Brian Steever.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The ambitious plans of the owner of the Green Lady Lounge are revealed in an enlightening report by David Hudnall of The Pitch.

*Parallax's recent performance at Take Five Coffee + Bar is documented by KCJazzLark.

*Michael Pagán lists eight jazz venues in the Kansas City area.

*Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle's The Freedom of Expression is slated for release this month.

*Chuck Berg reviewed David Basse's recent concert at the Topeka Jazz Workshop.  (Tip via Offstage.)  WIBW provides video of the event.

*Chris Burnett unveils plans to remaster his 1999 debut album.

*Tweet o' the Week: marklowreymusic- Last minute gig addition! Tonight solo piano at the Green Lady Lounge 7-11pm. This is my first time in this new space. Let's kick it.

*Comment of the Week: Lee- Does he have any plans to sell this online? There's an ominous lack of a "recordings" tab on the website you so kindly linked to. I had similar trouble trying to land a copy of "Live at Jardines." After several unanswered emails and Facebook posts, I finally gave up trying to get a copy sent to me in Seattle. And now I'm whinging on your blog like a moron.

*From Joe Athon: Kansas City Youth Jazz organizers in collaboration with Take 5 Coffee Bar have announced a Jazz Vocal Summit to be held January 20th, 2013 at 3pm to 6pm inside Take Five Coffee Bar in Leawood, KS.  The concert will last three hours. Participating in the event will be Angela Hagenbach, Wild Women of Jazz, Eddie Goss, Millie Nottingham, Laura Chalk, Bryan Hicks, Shay Estes and Joe Athon.  This will be a showcase of some of Kansas City's finest vocalists performing solo vignettes, duets and other configurations.  Proceeds will benefit Kansas City Youth Jazz… Tickets can be reserved in advance for $25 by calling 913-991-8225 or by emailing jathon@hotmail.com and for $35 at the door the day of the show. Seating is limited and advance purchase is strongly recommended. 

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Kevin Mahogany and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra's The Christmas Album and Michael Pagán's Keyboard Christmas

Two new albums by artists deeply embedded in the Kansas City jazz scene feature entirely different treatments of Christmas music.  Keyboard Christmas by Michael Pagán is a refined solo piano album.  The Christmas Album by Kevin Mahogany and The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is a lush set of big band swing.

Anyone familiar with both Mahogany and The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will immediately recognize that the pairing should result in splendid music.  Mahogany, perhaps the most significant male jazz vocalist from Kansas City since Big Joe Turner, is featured on half of The Christmas Album's 14 tracks.  Mahogany's lustrous voice is ideally suited for seasonal material like "I'll Be Home For Christmas."  Yet it's the instrumental selections that stand out.  An evocatively arranged version of "O Come, O Come, Emanuel" is my favorite track.  (Full disclosure- I played an incidental role in the creation of the album.)

Where Mahogany and The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra conform to expectations for holiday music, Pagán approaches the task from a less conventional angle on Keyboard Christmas.  The project's generic title and album art are misleading.  The album isn't an obvious rehash of familiar material.  It more closely resembles a jazz piano album that happens to contain seasonal material than a holiday album by a jazz pianist. 

Pagán sets the adventurous tone on the opening track by merging "So What" with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."  I was so stunned by the pairing that I was compelled to ask Pagán if the concept was original.  He confirmed that the idea is his.  I expect Pagán's stroke of genius to be quickly adopted by musicians all over the world.  The rest of the album is similarly enchanting.  Pagán demonstrates his classical chops on "Good King Wencelas" while an elegant blues-tinged take on "Coventry Carol" evokes Kenny Barron.

While I'm glad to own a copy of The Christmas Album, only a Keyboard Christmas will be added to the small stack of holiday albums that are part of my perennial rotation. 

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A blogger reports that only a handful of people attended Charlie Parker's grave site memorial service last Sunday.

*KCJazzLark offers insights into a press conference held at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

*Susan B. Wilson of KCUR shares her impressions of the late-night atmosphere at the Mutual Musicians Foundation.

*Hermon Mehari conducts a tour of Kansas City.

*The Kansas City Star offers a fall jazz preview.

*Here's an ostensibly new Bobby Watson track featuring Reach and vocalists that sound a lot like Book of Gaia.

*Michael Pagán and Joe Cartwright made an appearance on Fox4KC.

*David Valdez posted a recording of an August 5 gig at the Blue Monk in Portland that features Matt Otto and Todd Strait.  (Tip via On Jazz Musings.)

*Area jazz instructor and arts patron Charles Molina has died.  (Tip via Chris Burnett.)

*Marlin Cooper was inducted into the Mid-America Eduction Hall of Fame.

*A blogger reviewed a tribute to Fela Kuti at the RecordBar that featured several prominent members of Kansas City's jazz scene.

*Mark Lowrey and Brian Steever are among the musicians backing Sephiroth in footage of Lowrey's Tiny Music Project at the Czar Bar.

*Howard Mandel shares his impressions of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.  Ben Ratliff also provides an account of the annual New York event.

*Tom Ryan, an occasional commenter at Plastic Sax, has died.

*Tweet o' the Week: theprojecth- There are few things I enjoy more than playing the KC Suite for a loud audience.

*Comment o' the Week: Lee- F*cker! You come to Portland and don't even let me know. We are no longer friends!

*From Johnson County Community College: The lineup for the fall Jazz Series of Johnson County Community College has been announced. The series, which showcases the talents of local jazz musicians, takes place at noon Tuesday for six weeks from Sept. 25-Oct. 30. All performances, which are free and open to the public, are held in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center unless otherwise noted.  The fall 2012 Jazz Series lineup is: Sept. 25  Luqman Hamza Trio, piano and vocals. Oct. 2  Book of Gaia.  Oct. 9  Vine Street East featuring Monte Muza, guitar.  Oct. 16  Kerry Strayer and Dan Deluca, saxophone and piano.  Oct. 23  Joe Cartwright Trio.  Oct. 30  Mike Ning Trio.

*From Anita Dixon: The Mutual Musicians Foundation (MMF) formerly known as Local 627 or the “colored” musicians union from 1917 to 1970, has benefitted from funding secured by the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver, II and has completed an education and archive project to be unveiled, Friday, August 24th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the MMF, 1823 Highland Ave. 

“We have been almost two years working on this project and are extremely pleased to have the Congressman at the event and to give his time and energies to such worthy endeavors as the Mutual Musicians Foundation.” said MMF Chairman James Hathaway, Sr. 

Educational panels have been installed downstairs of the MMF and give a history of the neighborhood and the union hall that has been the subject of countless articles, documentaries and research.  In addition, a 30 minute documentary entitled, “Still Jammin’” will be viewed for the first time.  “This project demonstrates the strength of the history surrounding 18th and Vine and allows the MMF to truly showcase the unique legacy left to us.  We are so proud of the outcome.” said Anita J. Dixon, Vice President.

*From Royal Potato Family: Look up punk jazz in the dictionary and next to it you'll find a picture of its patron saint Mike Dillon... In that spirit, his latest solo album, Urn, due September 25 from The Royal Potato Family, pushes the envelope even further. He recently assembled a new band from his current hometown of New Orleans and proceeded to tour the group relentlessly for the first half of 2012. He then ducked into a Kansas City recording studio and cut the album straight to tape...

*From Brad Cox: The People's Liberation Big Band's show at the RecordBar on September 2 will be a tribute to John Cage in honor of his 100th birthday.

 (Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Clarence Smith and two students enrolled in KC Youth Jazz chatted with Jabulani Leffall on KCUR's Central Standard program.

*KCJazzLark cleverly chastises himself.

*Kevin Mahogany is featured on the Pace Report.

*Chris Burnett considers the concept of competitiveness.  He also cites KC Youth Jazz as an positive indicator of jazz's future.

*Lee Langston, an R&B artist who performs frequently at the Blue Room, is the subject on an excellent feature on KCUR's KC Currents. 

*KC Metropolis offers a review of the Experimental Music Showcase at last week's Fringe Festival.

*Pauly Cohen recalls a dispute with Count Basie.

*Bobby Watson received another positive review from a jazz critic in London.

*Gigs by Pat Metheny's Unity Band and Harold O'Neal were previewed by the New York Times.

*The Kansas City Jazz Calendar has been updated.  It looks thinner than usual in part because Kansas City's best jazz club is one of several venues that have yet to publish dates for August.

*Tweet o' the Week: Brandon Draper- Cicadas make the most dope rhythms

*Comment o' the Week: Anonymous- Hey folks, Three givens in Kansas City. KCJO concerts always sell.  Jazz in the WOODS always attracts large audiences.  Tim Whitmer productions have longevity and huge followings.  Get out of your own miopic worlds. Not everything in Kansas City Jazz is a downer.

*From Brad Cox: The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City celebrates the fourth anniversary of Jeff Harshbarger’s Jazz Series at the RecordBar with a “Year in Review” performance Sunday, August 5, at 8:00pm at the RecordBar (1020 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO). Admission is $5.  The performance will feature material written for People's Liberation Big Band within the past year by composers Patrick Alonzo Conway, Brad Cox, Hunter Long, and Matt Otto, as well as arrangements of music by Virgil Thomson, and an appearance by The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City’s Special Mobile Tactical Unit.

*From Michael Pagán: Kansas City Youth Jazz organizers in collaboration with Piropos have announced a Dueling Piano Summit to be held Sunday August 19th 2012 at 3:00 PM inside Piropos Piano Bar in Briarcliff. The concert will last two hours. Participating in the event will be four of the Kansas City region’s premier jazz pianists – Roger Wilder, Joe Cartwright, Michael Pagán, and Bram Wijnands. The pianists will match up in different combinations and play two-piano jazz for approximately two hours. Proceeds will benefit Kansas City Youth Jazz...

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Book of Gaia was featured on KCUR's Central Standard program.

*Esperanza Spalding, the woman referred to as "The Future" in the Plastic Sax offices, will perform at Helzberg Hall on October 9.

*Kansas City's jazz clubs are reexamined by KCJazzLark.  Kansas City's most prominent blogger takes exception to KCJazzLark's optimism, suggesting that "nothing is going to revive the dead corpse of Kansas City jazz."

*"(F)*ck New York, look at the sh*t thats going on in KC," Phonologotronic asserts as he promotes an August 3 performance titled Fluid Fractures.

*Rep. Emanuel Cleaver paid tribute to the late Ben Kynard.

*Tim Finn wrote a profile of Marco Pascolini.

*Mike Phillips, an Atlanta-based contemporary jazz saxophonist, performed Canada's national anthem at the MLB All-Star game in Kansas City.

*Someone snuck a camera into a Black House Improvisors Collective rehearsal.

*Chris Mills' describes a recent performance by Nicolay & the Hot at Nights at the Blue Room.  Here's fan footage of the show.

*Ernestine Anderson is among the performers at the annual Charlie Parker Festival.  Alas, Kansas Citians must travel to New York to attend.

*Time Out London previews a Bobby Watson gig.

*All of Joe Dimino's Neon Jazz programs are available as audio streams.  The most recent episode opens with the Ben Kynard composition "Red Top."

*My fiendish plan worked.  Steve Kraske featured Matt Otto's "Bird" on KCUR's Up To Date last week.  The show streams here.  Otto's music appears at the 24:00 mark.

*Tweet o' the Week: kcjazzlark- At Take Five: Matt Otto & Rich Wheeler, tenor saxes, TJ Martley, piano, Ben Leifer, bass, Sam Wisman, drums, have the full house mesmerized.

*Comment o' the Week: "Kenny G"- If you think PLBB has or ever had a "manager", clearly you've never been to one of their shows.

*An amusing debate is raging in the comment section the Plastic Sax review of the new Music for Owen/Cox Dance Group, Vol. 1 album.

*From Michael Pagán: The second installment of the "Jazz In The Weeds" festival is Saturday, July 28, at 7607 E. 65th St., KCMO 64113.  The Michael Pagán Quartet featuring bassist Bob Bowman serve as headliners.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Michael Pagán

The embedded video would position Pagarazzi, the duo project of Michael Pagán and Steve Rigazzi, as a strong contender in a "weirdest gig" contest.  But hey- the sound field seems solid and the environment looks pleasant enough. And the music?  Well, it's stellar.  Pagán performs at area venues several nights a week.  Check his calendar for details.