Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*As my note at The Kansas City Jazz Calendar indicates, Kansas City’s live music venues have been silenced.

*CJ Janovy created an audio feature about Logan Richardson for KCUR.

*I highlighted the careers of artists including Deborah Brown, Julia Lee, Marilyn Maye and Priscilla Bowman in an episode of 90.9 The Bridge’s Eight One Sixty program.

*Mike Herrera and Jim Lower discussed Kansas City’s jazz scene with Joe Dimino.

*The New York Times recommended Logan Richardson’s appearance at the Jazz Gallery.

*A devastating fire ravaged Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club.  The venue fostered the careers of musicians including Mike Dillon.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Mayor Quinton Lucas- Under the authority of Mayor Lucas’s State of Emergency proclamation, and per new @CDCgov guidance, no events or gatherings with 50 or more attendees will be allowed in Kansas City for the next eight weeks. #COVIDー19 #KCMO

*From the American Jazz Museum: In order to support Kansas City’s effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 the American Jazz Museum and The Blue Room jazz club will be closed temporarily, effective immediately.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Hearne Christopher reports that jazz will soon be featured in a revamped space at the downtown AMC movie theater.

*Dave Brubeck's October 14 concert at The Folly Theater has been cancelled. An appearance by Ellis Marsalis on February 11 replaces Brubeck's date in the venue's jazz series.

*The Star offers a review of Saturday's concert by The Bad Plus at The Folly Theater. And There Stands the Glass took notes at Sunday's performance by The Gang Font at The Record Bar.

*Here's an extremely nice segment on Marilyn Maye from Sue Vicory's Kansas City Jazz & Blues: Past, Present & Future. And here's a new trailer for the film. The documentary will be screened tonight, September 29, at B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ.

*UMKC's archival work on the memorabilia of Claude "Fiddler" Williams is noted by Steve Penn.

*Dude Langford is recalled by KCJazzLark.

*The NFL apparently produced a television spot that features a 1947 song by Kansas City's Julia Lee and Her Boyfriends. NPR's A Blog Supreme made the catch.

*Here's an upsetting jazz-related crime report.

*Kansas City bassist Jeff Harshbarger seems to fit right in with The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey in this gorgeous footage of JFJO collaborating with the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra. The Oklahoma-based band performs October 9 at Jardine's.

*12th Street Jump resumes Friday at the downtown Marriott with a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn.

*The Power & Light District hosts an event titled "The 14th Street Jazz Festival" on October 2. The McFadden Brothers are the only act listed at the "festival."

*Is Geneva Price is the daughter of Priscilla Bowman? A comment "GPrice" made here suggests that it's true. I have an expert investigating the matter, but please leave a comment if you can verify or dismiss this amazing assertion. UPDATE: The expert reports that Geneva is not related to Priscilla. I apologize for the false alarm.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Kidney Stew Is Fine

There wasn't even a stage. Legendary jump blues man Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson and vocalist Priscilla Bowman were joined by a drummer and bassist on the floor of the Grand Emporium. It was my first time inside the joint, and I was certain my scrawny underage hide would be kicked out. But in the early '80s the Grand Emporium was still known as a skid row bar for day drunks, and none of the dozen people in the smoky room gave me a second glance. The things I heard and witnessed that night changed my life.