Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Bobby Watson shares his thoughts on the jazz scene with the Columbia Tribune. He performs at Murray's on New Year's Eve.

*The photographs of a recent Shay Estes gig by KCJazzLark are stunning.

*The Count Basie Orchestra is under new management. Here's the press release. There's a vastly superior new site as well. Before it disappears, I suggest taking one last look at the organization's absolutely brutal old site. (Tip via KCJazzLark.)

*Darcy James Argue offers an elegant appreciation of Bob Brookmeyer.

*Pat Metheny obsessives will want to take a look at this Flickr photostream chronicling his ambitious new project.

*Pat Metheny ranks #21 on Billboard's chart of the 25 best-selling jazz artists of the decade. A Swingin' Christmas, by Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra, ranks #40 on Billboard's chart of the best-selling jazz albums of the decade. And Ray Sings, Basie Swings comes in at #47 on the same chart. No other artists with Kansas City ties are listed. It's telling that not a single living purely acoustic jazz instrumentalist made either list.

*Mark Edelman runs down the week in live jazz.

*From Bram Wijnands' site: Bram Wijnands is back at the Majestic... In January, Bram Wijnands Trio will be performing at the Majestic on Friday and Saturday, 7-11 pm (except Friday 1-8 when Paul Shinn's Trio fills in).

*Mouth, the band that's not really a jazz band, offers yet another free download containing selections from a recent performance. How does this relate to "real" jazz musicians? Well, Darcy James Argue (referenced above), developed interest in his big band by disseminating live recordings. His proper 2009 release ranks highly on the year-end lists of many jazz critics. I implore local jazz artists to consider following this lead.

*Here's an amended version of a comment I left at KCJazzLark's site in response to his reference to the commonly cited statistic that three percent of music sales are jazz.

That 3% statistic is horribly misleading. Here's Billboard's ten best-selling jazz artists of 2009, in order: Michael Buble, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Melody Gardot, Nat King Cole and Boney James. And here are the ten best-selling jazz artists of the decade, in order: Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Kenny G, Harry Connick, Jr., Chris Botti, Tony Bennett, Boney James, Dave Koz and Herbie Hancock. My hunch is that these 14 crossover artists account for 90% of all jazz sales. If I'm correct, the so-called long tail of jazz is exceedingly thin and malnourished.

*Unlike previous years, I'm not dedicating a post to live jazz on New Year's Eve. Here are a few options:

-The Blue Room- Everette DeVan and Greg Carroll perform from 8-10:00. The James Ward Band plays from 10:30-12:30.
-Davey's Uptown- Plastic Sax favorites Hearts of Darkness will be the life of the party.
-Jardine's- The Wild Women of Kansas City go on at 6:00 and Ida McBeth performs at 9:00.
-Lucky Brewgrille- AfterGroove will make for a smooth celebration.
-The Majestic- The Bram Wijnands Quartet performs.
-Candace Evans plays the Lodge of Four Seasons in the Ozarks.
-Bobby Watson and Horizon bring in the new year in Columbia.

Me? I'm celebrating New Year's Eve a day early with Hot Club of Cowton at Knuckleheads.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Hermon Mehari: The Plastic Sax Person of the Year

Hermon Mehari is far more than the trumpet player in Diverse. The energy and exuberance he contributed to Kansas City's jazz scene in 2009 make him the obvious choice for Plastic Sax's Person of the Year.

Consider:

*In an environment permeated with cynicism and negativity (guilty as charged), Mehari's upbeat and optimistic demeanor stands out. While many jazz musicians bemoan their plight, Mehari made his own luck. He demonstrated that hard work and a positive attitude can make great things happen.

*Mehari was interviewed many times in 2009. He never failed to speak highly of UMKC's jazz program and of Kansas City. He's also quick to praise his band mates and other locally-based artists.

*Mehari is one of Kansas City's most visible jazz fans. He doesn't merely attend shows- he drags other along and regularly uploads video footage. He embraces the new technology that allows him to share his passion for jazz with others. Accordingly, Diverse's site is excellent.

*And then there's the music. Mehari probably isn't the most gifted member of Diverse, but his artistic vision and genial persona make him a terrific front man for the group. Diverse's self-titled debut album is quite impressive. And their live performances are even better. Mehari also gigs as a member of the trio Tri-Dimensional and frequently sits in with other acts.

There's no telling what 2010 has in store for Kansas City's jazz scene. Knowing that Mehari will play a part in it, however, makes the outlook for the new year seem that much brighter.

(Photo courtesy of UMKC.)

A Bob Bowman Christmas

What a band! Bob Bowman, Roger Wilder, Dave Chael, Bryan Hicks, Rod Fleeman and Brandon Draper perform "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." (Tip on the video from Lee Ingalls.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*A fascinating new interview with Chris Burnett is provided by Black House Improvisor's Collective.

*KCJazzLark gets a few solid jabs in at Plastic Sax in an otherwise excellent essay. Don't miss his incredible photos, either., He celebrates the forthcoming "Jazz Winterlude" at JCCC and expresses disappointment in The Majestic in another post.

*Derek Donovan reviews the new Shay Estes album.

*Eldar was featured at the NPR-sponsored "Jazz Piano Christmas." It streams here.

*Selections from Mark Lowrey's recent tribute to Radiohead are at YouTube. I recommend starting with the rendition of "Knives Out." Amazing! (Tip via Tim Finn.)

*The American Jazz Museum's public improvements request form is quite interesting.

*The Pitch uncovered an old KANU fundraising album. Hearing Dick Wright's voice again is a real treat.

*Lee Ingalls, the sorely missed Kansas City jazz advocate, is caught crooning here.

*Doug Tatum of the Folly Theater noted that Heather Masse of the Wailin' Jennys will be performing with Mark O'Connor on January 23.

*The Star reviewed a recent Ken Peplowski concert.

*An all-star cast of 35 jazz musicians performs Wednesday, December 23, at Jardine's.

*Dean C. Minderman of St. Louis Jazz Notes provides a tidy synopsis of the year in jazz at the Riverfront Times.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Man Bites Dog: Jazz Trounces Hip Hop

I attended two shows at The Record Bar last week. The first was a Monday jazz matinee. The second was a hip hop blowout on Saturday night.

One of the shows felt stale and was poorly attended. The other crackled with the expectant energy that can only be attained with the presence of an enthusiastic crowd.

And it's not what you might think. The jazz gig crushed the hip hop show in both audience size and artistry.

Diverse may be the darlings of Plastic Sax and other observers of the Kansas City jazz scene, but a Monday show with a ten dollar cover at a rock-oriented club is not exactly a sure-fire recipe for success. A youthful crowd of about 100 showed up for Diverse's dynamic show. Joined by exciting saxophonist Logan Richardson, the band offered a riveting hard bop performance.

The two revelations of the night, at least for me, were the hip hop-informed drumming of Ryan Lee and the clever colorings added by keyboardist John Brewer. The perpetually surprised look Brewer favors reflects his startling improvisational approach. His concepts steer the group safely away from any hint of fogeyism. I had to leave during the second set. I trust the final thirty minutes were even better.

Fans of Soul Providers are also attractive. There just weren't very many of them on hand Saturday. Even though the hip hop collective is firmly established on the scene, only about 60 fans paid five dollars to see them.

Young Storm (pictured below), Reach, Dutch Newman and Hozey-T were among the night's featured entertainers. While none were less than good, only Les Izmore was great. He's not the best MC in the collective, but his artistic vision is more compelling than that of his colleagues. While others fall back on cliches, Izmore embraces his experimental streak.

The Soul Providers would benefit from mixing it up at their next event. May I suggest a collaboration with Diverse?



















(Original images of Diverse with Logan Richardson and Young Storm of the Soul Providers by Plastic Sax.)

Charlie Parker's White Christmas

Charlie Parker seemingly didn't take any days off. He would have been forgiven for coasting on a rendition of a relatively recent Irving Berlin song on a Christmas morning broadcast in 1948. Instead, his solo beginning at 0:50 and ending at 2:13 is a masterwork. Even his quote of "Jingle Bells" fits perfectly into the brilliant effort. Parker is joined by Kenny Dorham, Al Haig, Tommy Potter and Max Roach.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Valuable information about the American Jazz Museum and the Mutual Musicians Foundation is provided by Steve Penn. (Can any Plastic Sax readers offer additional insights into the reference to the album collection from Milton's?)

*The Phoenix might be remodeled according to Hearne Christopher.

*Ken Peplowski's tribute to Benny Goodman is previewed by The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. The show is at the Folly Theater on December 18.

*AfterGroove has an impressive new promotional video.

*A Diverse gig is reviewed at a senior citizen's blog. Awesome.

*Sue Vicory has announced that her Kansas City jazz and blues documentary will have its official premiere on May 6.

*Ten live performance videos by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra were recently uploaded at YouTube.

*Tony of Tony's Kansas City continues his Dave Stephens coverage here and here. Hearne Christopher chimes in here.

*Between Kevin Mahogany, Mark Pender and the Hatchlings, the Cherokee Jazz & Blues Festival in Iowa has strong ties to Kansas City.

*Mouth may or may not be a jazz band, but they sure work hard to promote their gigs. "Everything that you wish that the jazz bands had- they've got it," a reggae musician says of Mouth in this promotional video for their Funk & Reggae Dance Summit at the Beaumont Club on December 18.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)