The Jazz Millions of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

To the best of my knowledge, I was the only commentator to proclaim Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's Race Riot Suite as the best album of 2011. I've never wavered from my admiration of the groundbreaking album. The band also remains committed to the project. Footage of a performance of Race Riot Suite's "The Burning" in Austria last month demonstrates its ongoing vitality. The embedded clip features impressive contributions from Kansas City's Jeff Harshbarger and Mark Southerland.

Now's the Time: Karrin Allyson and 12th Street Jump

I'm confllcted. While I adore Karrin Allyson, I have far less enthusiasm for 12th Street Jump. It's not them- it's me. I simply don't care for the radio program's brand of humor. A taping of 12th Street Jump featuring Joe Sample last March reinforced my perspective. Allyson performs with the 12th Street Jump cast at Unity on the Plaza on Monday, September 16. Joe Klopus and Bill Blankenship previewed Allyson's return to her old stomping grounds.

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.)

Concert Review: The Lisa Henry Quartet at Jazz by the Lake

An extraordinarily gratifying performance took place in a sun-soaked cottage on a college campus last week.  The Lisa Henry Quartet delighted a capacity audience of about 100 at the Conference Center near the south entrance of Kansas City Kansas Community College.  The structure adjacent to a small body of water resembles a rustic hunting lodge.

The charming setting is transformed into a comfortable jazz venue during the institution's free Jazz By the Lake series. 

Backed by keyboardist Everett Freeman, bassist Tyrone Clarke and drummer Mike Warren, Lisa Henry sang standards with impeccable grace for an hour.  A duet with Clarke on "Mood Indigo" showcased her lustrous voice.  With a vocal tone that evokes Nancy Wilson and an ability to swing like Ella Fitzgerald, Henry is an incredible mainstream jazz vocalist.  Her performance was so riveting that it was impossible not wonder why she's not better known. 

Henry was introduced to the international jazz community when she took second place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition in 1994.  Internet trolls are aware of Henry because of this oddity.

"Professor Bobby Watson says they come for the hug," Henry said at the conclusion of her performance.  "I thank you for coming and I hope you've enjoyed the hug."

Henry's musical embrace is one of my favorite performances of 2013.

(The remainder of this season's Jazz by the Lake schedule is published here.  Henry was last featured at Plastic Sax in April of 2012.)

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Jon Faddis at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival

Jon Faddis probably won't be the most impressive artist to appear at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival on Saturday, September 7.  The trumpeter's presence represents the icing on a ridiculously decadent cake.  Plastic Sax's analysis of the festival's excellent lineup is here.  Joe Klopus characterizes the next few days as "one of the greatest jazz weekends of the year, possibly of the decade."

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Pete Weber has informed Plastic Sax of forthcoming live tapings of 12th Street Jump featuring prominent guest artists.  They include Karrin Allyson on September 16, Kevin Mahogany on November 27 and Bobby Watson on December 20.  Each event will be held at Unity on the Plaza.

*The Village Voice hails Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker, the first volume of Stanley Crouch's forthcoming biography of Bird.

*Stephen Butler created a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a Bobby Watson-related project.

*Poncho Sanchez will be featured in a "special artist talk" at the American Jazz Museum at 2 p.m. on Friday, September 6.  The event is "free and open to the public."  Sanchez performs at the Blue Room Friday evening.

*KC Jazz Lark shares a few general observations about the region's jazz scene.

*Greg Carroll of the American Jazz Museum was included in KCUR's panel discussion about "The Impact of Latin American Music".  The museum is currently hosting the American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music exhibit. 

*The Black House Collective is  preparing for its new music festival.

*Steve Paul captured a portion of the recent performance by Matt Otto's Shoe-Less Joe at the Blue Room.

*Today is the deadline for contributions to a Kickstarter campaign intended to raise funds for a theatrical production based on the life of Myra Taylor.  With 11 hours remaining, $1,157 of the $14,000 goal had been pledged.

*Russell Thorpe proposes a different sort of blindfold test.

*Ben Ratliff reviewed last weekend's Charlie Parker Jazz Festival for The New York Times. And here's a photo set documenting the event.

*Hermon Mehari demonstrates a trumpet for B.A.C. Horn Doctor.

*Tweet o' the Week: Troy Diggs- KC folks: I see that the former Outa Bounds is being flipped into a jazz club? I'm intrigued. Anybody know more?

*Comment o' the Week: Sam- thanks for Bobby blindfold test...great stuff.

*From a press release: Saxophonist-composer-producer-educator Bobby Watson is proud to release, Check Cashing Day, the second self-produced recording on Watson's label, Lafiya Music. The project, which honors the March on Washington's 50th anniversary and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have A Dream" speech, is now available digitally (August 28, 2013) and will be released physically on November 12, 2013.  As Watson reflects, Check Cashing Day serves as "a commentary on where we've been, where we are, and where we need to go as a people, as a country, and as a global community." Instead of focusing on the iconic "I Have A Dream" aspect of Dr. King's speech, Watson chose to concentrate on another very significant part: the reason why over 300,000 people, black and white, gathered in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. Dr. King spoke of coming to Washington to cash a 100 year old check, a moral check that the founding fathers wrote into the Declaration of Independence, but to this day, the check keeps coming back marked 'insufficient funds.' "This, being the year of my 60th birthday, I sadly understand that Dr. King's dream has not been fully realized and the struggle continues," says Watson.  Introducing poet and spoken word artist Glenn North from Kansas City, MO, Check Cashing Day is a concept recording with 15 tracks portrayed in the vein of musical theatre. "I asked Glenn to put some poetry, from his perspective, to several of my compositions, as well as one written by vocalist Pamela Baskin-Watson and two by bassist Curtis Lundy," comments Watson. "It was my desire with this project to produce poetry that would in some ways cleanse the soul," notes North. In addition, Watson's release features trumpeter Hermon Mehari, pianist Richard Johnson, drummer Eric Kennedy, flutist Horace Washington, and trombonist Karita Carter.  With Watson's commentary on the ongoing struggle of todays racial inequalities spotlighted on compositions such as the title track "Check Cashing Day (For Ms. Trudy)" and "MLK on Jazz (Love Transforms)," he offers a recording that provokes positive conversation and continued movement towards Dr. King's 'dream,' so that the 'dream' becomes a reality in today's world. "The result is something more powerful and thought provoking than I could have imagined," concludes Watson.

*From Ron Carlson: Enjoy the cool sounds of jazz vibraphone as New York City meets Kansas City!  New York City musicians Diana Herold and Grisha Alexiev team up with Kansas City musicians Ron Carlson and Greg Clinkingbeard for an evening of original material and classic jazz standards! Diana and Grisha are veterans of the New York music scene and have lots of music and stories to share.  Percussionist Diana Herold has received graduate degrees from the New England Conservatory and Rice University.  Adept at performing both improvised and non-improvised music, Diana has worked and traveled abroad with musicians such as Yo Yo Ma, Kenny Wheeler, Alex Rostotsky, Buddy DeFranco, Ray Brown, Wynton Marsalis, They Might Be Giants and the Joint Chiefs. She has performed in multiple Broadway shows including the Lion King, off-Broadway shows, several orchestras and leads her own latin and jazz groups featuring her original compositions.  Grisha Alexiev has been playing drums for over forty years and has written more than 400 compositions. He has performed with a variety of artists including Archie Bell, Ken Werner, Sinfonia of Auckland New Zealand, Sam Rivers, Sandy Weston, Marty Ehrlich, Julius Hemphill, John Cage, Arnett Cobb, Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton and Richard Stoltzman.  Grisha has been commissioned by dance companies and is recorded on the Jazz Club, Rounder, Soul-note and Mapleshade labels.  Diana Herold / Grisha Alexiev Quartet --- Diana Herold (vibes), Grisha Alexiev (drums), Ron Carlson (flute, guitar) and Greg Clinkingbeard (bass).  Friday, Sept 6th, Lucky Brewgrille, 6-9 pm, No cover.  Saturday, Sept 14th, Take Five Coffee Bar, 8-10pm, $5 cover.

*From a press release: The American Jazz Museum received email notification last evening that The Blue Room has been named among Ingram's, "Best of Kansas City" winners again this year in the Jazz or Blues Club category.

*From Mike Pagan: Tickets for this Sunday's Dueling Piano Summit concert have been reduced to $25.00 each, effective immediately. Tickets at the door the day of the show will be $35.00. Individuals who purchased a ticket at the $50 price will receive a refund of $25.00 per ticket. Contact Michael Pagán at 816.589.9384 for further info.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Harold O'Neal- Man On the Street

Harold O'Neal relocated to New York several years ago, but he still has Kansas City on his mind.

Man On the Street, O'Neal's new album, opens with a tune titled "The Deen of Swing."  The song is almost certainly a tribute to the late Ahmad Alaadeen, one of O'Neal's mentors as he grew up in Kansas City.

Bobby Watson also gave the young pianist's career a significant boost. "Is It This," the second track on the album, is a melodic tune in the style of Watson.  Other tracks, including "P.L.C,," advance the hard bop theme of Man On the Street. 

The most interesting tracks, however, are the least conventional selections.  The mystical "Childlike" is thoroughly enchanting.  The impressionistic solo piano piece "Gossamer's Lilt" is the highlight of the album.  O'Neal's band- saxophonist Marcus Strickland, bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Marcus Gilmore- is strong, but it's O'Neal's classically-inspired playing that differentiates his music.

In spite of the album's title, very few of the sounds of Man On the Street will jump out at listeners not already conversant in the jazz language.  Jazz hounds, however, will relish the project.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)