Concert Review: The New Vintage Big Band at the Brooksider Bar & Grill

I began to detect the invigorating sound of The New Vintage Big Band from over half a block away as I walked toward the Brooksider Bar & Grill last Wednesday.  The sound of a big band thrills me so much that it took all of my willpower to avoid the urge to accost passerby on the sidewalk who were ignoring the music.

"Where are you going?" I wanted to ask.  "How can you possibly discount that sound?"

Once seated inside the Brooksider, I spotted about 30 people who shared my enthusiasm.  Even with multiple large-screen televisions airing a Royals game and an NHL playoff match, these dedicated listeners remained mesmerized by the band.  A few of the sports bar's other patrons managed to ignore the band in spite of its volume.

The current edition of New Vintage is a nice mix of established veterans (including Jeff Hamer and Rob Whitsitt), young up-and-comers (including Brett Jackson and Dominique Sanders) and several guys unfamiliar to me.   A powerful solo by saxophonist David Freeland on "A Night In Tunisia" was very impressive. 

The band used to play on the first Wednesday of each month at BB's Lawnside BBQ.  I assume that it occupies the same slot at the Brookside establishment.  I'm counting on someone from the band to confirm my hunch in the comment section of this post.

The New Vintage Big Band was last featured at Plastic Sax in 2009.   The ensemble's Always and Forever album is available at Spotify.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Kristin Shafel Omiccioli interviewed Kerry Strayer of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.

*Robert Trussell reviewed Saturday's performance by the Owen/Cox Dance Group.

*The Black House Improvisors' Collective unveiled the roster for its forthcoming season.

*Bob McWilliams of KANU lists his top twelve albums of 2012.

*A blogger surveys the life of Charlie Parker.

*Clint Ashlock updated his SoundCloud account.

*12th Street Jump presents a new episode of "Blues In the News."

*A deranged man ranted about Eddie Moore and Logan Richardson after presenting tracks by Mark Lowrey and Michael Pagan on KCUR's Up To Date last Friday.

*Tweet o' the Week: paulgerni- Last night I listened to, and danced to, the New Vintage Big Band, an excellent 18-pc band in the true Kansas City jazz tradition.

*Comment o' the Week: Gary- Had the privilege to hear Harshberger playing Snuff Jazz Saturday night at Take Five. I'm going to be spending a lot more Saturday nights there for sure.

*From a press release: A Musical Night of TV Theme Songs & Movie Classics.  Take a trip down memory lane with those old familiar songs of hit movies and television series. Hosted by Jim Mair, and the incredible songbook and talent of Dan Deluca on piano, the Consort Band will take you on a journey of memories through music... Wednesday, January 2, 2013. 7:00 p.m. Unity Temple on the Plaza, Tickets at the door only - $7.00

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The New Vintage Big Band

I expected to see nothing but crusty old men when I stepped inside BB's Lawnside BBQ last Wednesday evening. While a few geezers were among The New Vintage Big Band's members, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the ensemble also includes plenty of young faces. At least one member, in fact, is still in high school.

By my count the ensemble included six trumpets, five saxophones, five trombones, one guitarist, one keyboard player, one bassist and a drummer. They were loud. Very loud. I smiled sympathetically when I spotted one member desperately fiddling with earplugs.

Their diverse repertoire ranged from Stan Kenton to Steely Dan. Boulevard beer and plates of burnt ends were on special. Needless to say, I loved the entire scene.

The New Vintage Big Band returns to BB's on December 2.






















(Original images by Plastic Sax.)