Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The lineup of the 2014 Prairie Village Jazz Festival is detailed by KC Jazz Lark.

*"Uncool Kids" is a track from the Project H's forthcoming album We Live Among the Lines.

*Tinks, Peter Schlamb's new album, is available at CD Baby.

*The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra has unveiled its 2014-15 season.

*The Kansas City Star documents Saturday's swing dance at the Masonic Temple.

*Here's Stephanie Bryan's obiturary.

*The Kansas City Star reports that the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the American Jazz Museum with a $133,050 grant.

*Paul Mesner Puppets was awarded a $15,000 grant for a production titled "Ragtime to Bebop: The Story of Kansas City Jazz."

*Mills Record Company celebrates the "Jazz Solo" nominees for The Pitch's music awards.

*The Pitch touts a gig by the Westport Art Ensemble.

*Chris Burnett enters the "does jazz need to be saved" debate.

*Tweet o' the Week: Joel Cunningham- It's Saturday night of @KansasCityStomp and #VineStreetRumble is on fire!

*From Tim Whitmer: July Jazz Jam #4 , the Summer Sax Summit  promises to be a hot, jumping  good time evening of music, fun and joy. 3 of Kansas City's hottest saxophonists playing a popping , upbeat variety of jazz styles  from classic KC style to blues to swing. In addition the amazing Monique Danielle with be the  guest vocalist. And the all star rhythm section includes the world class talent of guitarist Rod Fleeman...

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: The Westport Art Ensemble at the Westport Coffeehouse

The Art Ensemble of Chicago were one of the gateway acts that allowed me to fully embrace jazz. I didn't feel as if I was sacrificing any of the entertaining elements of popular music when I listened to the loopy, noisy and fun band. The similarly named Westport Art Ensemble, while progressive by Kansas City's standards, was far less outrageous than its brethren from the Windy City.

As Joe Klopus explained in a preview of the event, four of the original five members of the band reunited for a performance Saturday at the Westport Coffeehouse. (Guitarist Jake Blanton is off doing the rock star thing)

I smiled when WAE opened its set with atmospheric AEC-style clattering. In spite of the noisy introduction, WAE sometimes seemed like a mainstream jazz act. Each of its members is respected by swing-obsessed jazz fans. Upon closer inspection, however, WEA frequently features subversive elements that are anathema to traditionalists.

Drummer Todd Strait, a big favorite among swing fans, didn't hesitate to pound aggressively. Bassist Gerald Spaits, a near-legendary mainstay of the Kansas City scene, displayed remarkably imaginative melodic concepts and a startlingly innovative technique. The Rhodes piano work of Roger Wilder evoked '70s-era Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Josh Sclar played the role of a straight man in the tradition of hard-charging saxophonists like Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.

Seeing the guys together again was a treat. I hated to break away from the audience of about 100 after only 45 minutes, but I had to prepare to enter the jungle.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)