The Bright Side

Ronnell Bright once got my weekends started. 

The pianist, perhaps best known as Sarah Vaughan's longtime pianist, had an early 1990s residency at the hotel near the Plaza that's currently branded as Best Western's Seville Plaza Hotel.

Surrounded by tourists and businesspeople, I'd relax in the lounge as Bright played sterling renditions of jazz standards and original material like "Sweet Pumpkin".

It was a tough gig, but Bright handled the challenges associated with performing for largely indifferent audiences with grace.  Bright left Kansas City long ago, but many of Kansas City's best jazz pianists continue to toil in similar environments.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The American Jazz Museum unveiled the complete schedule for the 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival.

*A portion of Chuck Haddix's biography of Charlie Parker was excerpted by The Kansas City Star.  The Star also published a review of both Haddix's and Stanley Crouch's Parker biographies.

*Libby Hanssen reviewed the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.  The PV Post offers a couple photos of the event and reports on a bit of related whining.

*A concert by Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle and Project H was documented by KC Jazz Lark.

*The Pitch examines the Black Lab New Music Festival.

*The Kansas City Kansas Public Library is hosting a series of jazz-related events under the auspices of Bop in the Dotte.

*Marc Meyers offers further appreciation of former Kansas City resident Ronnell Bright.

*Comment o' the Week: Michael- You decided against posting the clip of Watson and Harrell totally destroying him at the JVC Festival? I admire your restraint, Happy.

*Tweet o' the Week: KC Jazz Lark- Thank you to everyone at yesterday's Prairie Village Jazz Fest. The night's crowd was our largest ever. Every group on stage was wonderful.

*From Take Five Coffee: September is a powerhouse month for us, and this week we kick it into high gear with three shows by elite performers of every stripe.  Thursday, September 12, 7pm:  Hermon Mehari and Andrew Ouellette on keys. $5 cover.  Friday, September 13, 8pm: Roger Wilder Trio.  We’re thrilled to have Roger back in the house leading his own trio with Seth Lee (bass) and Sam Wisman (drums) ready to make your Friday the 13th definitively UN-scary. $5 cover.  Saturday, September 14, 8pm: Grisha Alexiev and Diana Herold.  The last time Grisha (drums) and Diana (vibes) were in town they were simply mesmerizing. From NYC, this husband/wife percussive duo will be joined by Ron Carlson (guitar) and Greg Clinkingbeard (bass) for one amazing evening of music.  Both are respected composers; Grisha has performed with the likes of Sam Rivers and John Cage and Diana with Yo Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis and They Might Be Giants among others.  They're also two of the nicest people you'll meet anywhere.  Come on out for a great evening with out-of-town guests! $5 cover.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A local jazz blog extols the virtues of the People's Liberation Big Band.

*Eldar was featured by NPR. (Tip via KCJazzLark.)

*KCJazzLark shares compelling war stories from jazz's trenches.

*Nick Rowland is interviewed at the site of the Black House Improvisors' Collective.

*I just discovered a 2009 interview in which Jazz Wax's Marc Myers provided an update on the whereabouts of former Kansas Citian Ronnell Bright. (The segment begins at the 7:49 mark.)

*"... some differences of opinion" resulted in an organizational change within the Prairie Village Jazz Festival. (Via KCJazzLark.)

*A local television station covers an American Jazz Museum fundraising initiative.

*Here's a review of Diverse's Michael Jackson tribute at the Record Bar. The Star reviewed recent concerts by The Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Del McCoury, Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer, Jeff Beck and Terence Blanchard.

*Tweet o' the Week: beauzmuzik: Every time I start learning a new song from Guinga, it's like discovering a beautiful garden with little animals and flying babies.

*In a stringent bout of spring cleaning, I deleted dozens of defunct and dormant artist links. MySpace accounts without 2011 logins, for instance, have been eliminated. Several of Kansas City's most prominent jazz artists, consequently, are no longer listed in the column to the right. I implore these musicians to rectify the situation- not for Plastic Sax, but for the sakes of their careers and legacies.

*From the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra: With a jazz heritage that began decades ago in Leavenworth, KS, has touched nearly 200 movie soundtracks, and added to numerous studio recordings along the way, saxophonist Gary Foster returns to Kansas City on April 29 to join The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra in concert. Dubbed "Big Band Summit: The Master Returns," the limited seating performance is set for 8 p.m. at Unity Temple on the Plaza.

*From Brad Cox: The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City celebrates International Workers Day, Sunday May 1 with an 8:00 pm performance at the RecordBar. The band will perform excerpts from its score for Battleship Potemkin (with video screening), selections from Threepenny Opera (arranged by Brad Cox and Jeffrey Ruckman) and present a lively musical debate on the subject of intellectual property and copyright law. Cover price at the door is $5. Here's an amusing PLBB plea for funding at Kickstarter.

(Original image of Logan Richardson in 2009 by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Benny Powell, the trombonist who soloed on the Count Basie Orchestra hit "April In Paris," has died. (Initial tip via KCJazzLark.)

*KCJazzLark continues his exhaustive and incredibly depressing history of the Jazz District's museum complex here and here. The latter link includes details about the infamous acquisition of Charlie Parker's plastic sax.

*A Nebraska journalist's profile of guitarist Jerry Hahn is fascinating.

*Chicago saxophonist Fred Anderson has died. Here's a wonderful tribute.

*There's good news regarding one-time Kansas Citian Ronnell Bright.

*The Star caught up with Greg Carroll of the American Jazz Museum.

*Mark Lowrey plans to record a live solo piano album August 1 at Jardine's.

*The Star endorses public funding for historical renovations in the Jazz District.

*The Peachtree Restaurant has filed for bankrupcty. Longtime Plastic Sax readers will remember that the establishment left 18th & Vine in 2007.

*The Star offers a review and photos of Michael Buble's performance at the Sprint Center.

*Tony's Kansas City touts the work of Dave Stephens here and here. The blogger also extols the virtues of The Phoenix.

*Alaturka's debut CD will be available July 25. The band performs at Jardine's that evening.

*12th Street Jump features Luqman Hamza on July 3. KCUR began airing the weekly show in July of 2009.

*The owner of a new downtown establishment "hopes to offer live blues and jazz music by this fall," according to an item in Joyce Smith's column.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Saint Joseph is erecting a statue of Coleman Hawkins during their jazz festival in June. It's the work of the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Society.

*Kansas City's Fox affiliate broadcast a nice segment on Sons of a Hoofer.

*Did you see that Louis Hayes has been added to the Rhythm & Ribs lineup?

*Poor health prevented Clark Terry from appearing at a concert at Unity Temple Sunday night. KCUR aired a feature before the bad news hit.

*Hearne Christopher Jr. reports that Marilyn Maye is returning to Jardine's.

*Details have emerged about the new signage going up in the Jazz District.

*A one-man play about Charlie Parker was produced in Massachusetts.

*One-time Kansas City resident Ronnell Bright is extensively interviewed here.

*Frank Wess was recently featured in both the New York Sun and in the New York Times.

*Bebopified raves about a recent Karrin Allyson show.

*Leawood? Ask David Basse.

(Original image of Chicago by Plastic Sax.)