Now's the Time: Christian Howes

No one will ever mistake the playing of jazz violinist Christian Howes with that of the late Kansas City jazz legend Claude "Fiddler" Williams. A new-school technician, Howes' approach is far more aggressive than the relaxed swing associated with Williams. Even so, Howes clearly has a tremendous grasp of jazz tradition. He returns to Jardine's for two shows on Friday, October 29.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*KCJazzLark offers an account of the October 18 performance of Bobby Watson's The Gates BBQ Suite at the Blue Room. I wrote about the event here.

*An Arkansas newspaper covered Doug Talley's recent trip to the Natural State.

*Here's a new interview with Marilyn Maye.

*The sordid saga of alleged fraud perpetrated by Petro America has a Kansas City jazz connection. The Pitch and the Star relate the shocking story.

*Here's the latest dispatch from Black House Improvisors' Collective.

*Tweet o' the week: KCJazzLark: At Marquee Lounge earlier tonight for Crosscurrent, one of KC's best jazz groups. But the place needs to figure out what it wants to be....

*While it doesn't have any Kansas City-specific content, I highly recommend The Revivalist to forward-thinking jazz fans. The new site has a feature on Ben Williams, the young bassist in Nicholas Payton's band at the Rhythm & Ribs festival earlier this month.

*From a Johnson County Community College press release: A new CD, Live from JCCC’s Yardley Hall, featuring the late Kansas City jazz pianist and band leader Pete Eye along with three other musicians, will be released during a jazz concert and party from noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, in the Atrium in the Regnier Center, Johnson County Community College... The CD was recorded at Eye’s final major concert on March 3, 2009, part of the JCCC Jazz Series. Eye died April 8, 2010.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Review: Harold O'Neal- Whirling Mantis

Whirling Mantis, the new release by pianist Harold O'Neal, has served as my default background music for the past two weeks. It's provided my soundtrack as I've trudged on a treadmill, prepared meals and read newspapers. Even my associates who ordinarily claim to detest jazz have been drawn in by Whirling Mantis' obvious charms and immediate accessibility.

I first raved about O'Neal, 29, at Plastic Sax three years ago. He was born in Africa and raised in Kansas City. He's recorded with Greg Osby, Bobby Watson and Ahmad Alaadeen. He currently resides in New York. Whirling Mantis was recorded in Brooklyn in 2008.

Listening to the album is akin to overhearing an erudite discussion between O'Neal and alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw as bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Rodney Green whisper thoughtful commentary. Both O'Neal and Shaw pose their intriguing arguments with charm and finesse.

My sole complaint with Whirling Mantis could be a personal problem. Perhaps I've been listening to too many albums on the ECM label or maybe I'm overly accustomed to Jon Brion productions, but I just don't care for the way O'Neal's piano was recorded. It's a minor concern about an otherwise entirely delightful album.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

The Pearl Thuston-Brown Takeover

Because I arrived an hour after the scheduled start time of the official public debut performance of The Gates BBQ Suite, I was forced into a far corner of the packed Blue Room on October 18. Adding insult to injury, the complimentary barbecue provided by Gates was gone.

All was not lost. I closed my eyes and blissfully listened to Bobby Watson, his current UMKC students and a few alumni impeccably perform the second half of Watson's exceptional new album.

After he noted that the project had peaked at #6 on JazzWeek's airplay chart, Watson was quick to dampen unrealistic expectations.

"I'll be driving the same car next week," he laughed. "What part of number six don't you understand?"

Watson assured the audience that a brief intermission would be followed by a jam session. It never happened. Pearl Thuston-Brown, 83, commandeered the piano during the break. And that was that.

She performed an impressive array of jazz standards and bawdy blues. I blushed when "A Good Man is Hard to Find" became "A Hard Man is Good to Find." Transport this woman to Paris and she'd be the toast of the town within weeks.

Intimidated and respectful, the other musicians didn't dare interrupt Thuston-Brown. As her impromptu recital continued, they shrugged their shoulders, packed their instruments and left. By the time she finished playing, less than two dozens people- Ollie "O.G." Gates among them- remained.

(While I'm reluctant to feature this home footage of Thuston-Brown, no proper performance documentation is available.)

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*The trip Bobby Watson and his UMKC students are taking to Japan is detailed by Steve Penn.

*Greg Carroll of the American Jazz Museum discusses his career path in a lively video profile.

*Steve Penn cites the official head count for the Rhythm & Ribs festival. (The "paid attendance" was 4,000.)

*Sue Vicory and her film are praised by KCJazzLark.

*Megan Birdsall alludes to her plan to travel to Europe with Hermon Mehari.

*Nightclub owner Bobby Dobson has died.

*Bill Blankenship previews a Topeka performance by Grant Geissman and Jerry Hahn.

*Pianist and composer Michael Pagan has released two albums in 2010. His Three For the Ages album was reviewed by an Italian critic. The second title, 12 Preludes & Fugues, received a thoughtful analysis here.

*An interesting post at the site of the Black House Improvisors' Collective touches on naming compositions, Dave Douglas' recent concert at the Blue Room and the politics of jazz programming.

*Jordan Shipley has a "case of the Mondays".

*Alice Thorson examines the "Evolution of Jazz" art exhibit.

*Tweet o' the week: 12THSTREETPETE: The salute to Dizzy went well. Thanks Cal, KB, and Jenn for being part of such an A+ night. I get rewarded now with football and laziness.

*Black Friday, an event billed as "The History of Jazz Meets Hip Hop," takes place November 26 at Crosstown Station. Featured jazz performers include Hermon Mehari, Mark Lowrey and Logan Richardson.

*From the city of Leavenworth: Jazz at the Hollywood Theater is a concert series that was developed to present performances in the community by world class talent that is based in the Kansas City metro area. The concerts are recorded for broadcast by Kansas Public Radio. This year's event, held on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m., will feature the Sons of Brasil and the Roger Wilder Quartet and proceeds will go to benefit the Parks and Recreation Department.

*The Marquee, a new venue at the AMC Theater at 1400 Main, occasionally features live jazz. Its sales manager sent me her club's live music listing: Oct 20- Mark Lowrey and Shay Estes 7-10pm; Oct 22- Crosscurrent- 7-10pm; Oct 23- TBA 9p-12a; Oct 27- Mark Lowrey and Shay Estes 7-10pm; Oct 29- Retro Inferno 7-10pm; Oct 30- TBA 9p-12a. The jazz acts are listed on the Kansas City Jazz Calendar.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Sitting In On the JCCC Jazz Series

Anyone who thinks that old folks can't move quickly should have seen how briskly dozens of senior citizens sprung to their feet at the conclusion of the Steve Rigazzi Trio's set last week at Johnson County Community College.

The trio was rewarded with a hearty standing ovation after performing an hour of solid melodic swing on October 12. Although I was a quarter-century younger than most of the 100 people in attendance, I had no trouble admiring the old-school playing of bassist Rigazzi, drummer Ray DeMarchi and pianist Paul Smith.

While Smith's reassuring work was the clear audience favorite, DeMarchi's jittery accompaniment on an oddly upbeat rendition of "'Round Midnight" thrilled me. A nasty unaccompanied four-minute bass solo that evoked Charles Mingus may have unsettled some in the audience but it served to remind me that Rigazzi merits consideration alongside Bob Bowman and Gerald Spaits in any serious discussion of Kansas City's elite straight-ahead jazz bassists. Kim Sivils, Rigazzi's regular musical partner, replaced Smith for one number. Her lyrical touch offered fascinating contrast to Smith's more assertive playing.

The free noontime concert was part of the Ruel Joyce Series. I've been aware of the series for some time, but it took an appearance by Matt Otto's quartet on October 5 to first attract me to one of its events. The Otto-led combo of Gerald Dunn, Jeff Harshbarger and Mike Warren is one of the premier groups in the region, if not the world.

Their adventurous set didn't disappoint me, although the unflaggingly polite capacity audience didn't even consider offering them a standing ovation. Even so, I felt guilty about claiming a spot that would have otherwise gone to another jazz fan. I sense that the Ruel Joyce series represents the sole opportunity for many people to hear live jazz.

Besides, after witnessing both their passion and quick reflexes, I'm now reluctant to antagonize elderly jazz fans.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Captured: Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey at Jardine's

Steve Paul wasn't the only person wielding a video camera during the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's appearance October 9 at Jardine's. Someone affiliated with the band created the embedded montage of the show. Additional footage is here. Both videos show Kansas City-based bassist and newly minted JFJO member Jeff Harshbarger to good advantage. If you like what you see and hear, feel free to revisit the 2009 interview Plastic Sax conducted with JFJO's Brian Haas.