Concert Review: Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio at the Blue Room

The frequent appearances of blues, soul, salsa and rock acts at the Blue Room seems inconsistent with the mission of the American Jazz Museum.  While I appreciate each of those forms, I’ve long believed the venue overseen by the institution should stay true to its mandate.

A couple seated near me at the Blue Room on Saturday, February 8, shared that perspective.  They were visibly displeased by Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio.  The plugged-in attack of Villinger (keyboards and vocoder), Peter Schlamb (keyboards and electronics) and Zach Morrow (drums and electronics) bears little resemblance to conventional Kansas City jazz.

Yet the post-Herbie groove-pop of Villinger’s All Night Trio is the sort of consequential music essential to fostering the ongoing viability of jazz.  Rooted in Herbie Hancock’s innovations on Head Hunters and Future Shock, Villinger’s approach compares favorably with the current affiliates of the Brainfeeder collective.

The trio fleshed out the memorable melodies from Villinger’s excellent 2019 album All Day with whimsical improvisations over amplified grooves.  And watching Schlamb produce stupendous bass lines through a keyboard further affirmed my belief that he’s Kansas City’s finest all-around musician.

The vital experience compels me to reconsider my inflexible stance on the Blue Room’s bookings.  The bold performance by Villinger’s innovative trio in the heart of Kansas City’s jazz district points to a bright- and extraordinarily fun- future for jazz.

(Original image of Matt Villinger by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Sylwester Ostrowski

The Polish saxophonist Sylwester Ostrowski is one of several notable musicians slated to perform at the Ship on Thursday, February 6, in a show titled Searching for Charlie Parker.  The embedded video captures two aspects of Ostrowski’s sound.  

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Bobby Watson was named the year’s best alto saxophonist in JazzTimes’ 2019 Critics’ Poll.  (Tip via PF.)

*Rashida Philips responded to a few inquiries about her role at the American Jazz Museum for Flatland.

*The Kansas City Star previewed Bobby McFerrin’s concert at Yardley Hall.

*Harold O’Neal was interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*Marc Myers considers the legacy of Harlan Leonard.

*Tweet o’ the Week: American Jazz Museum- AJM will be closed all day Wednesday, Feb. 5th for the city-wide Super Bowl celebration and parade. We will be open for regular business hours on Thursday, Feb. 6th.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Guitar Elation- Double Live at Green Lady Lounge

Acquisition of the vinyl version of Double Live at Green Lady Lounge comes with a quandary.  Do listeners restrain themselves to avoid marring the two gorgeous alabaster platters, or do they accede to the mandate of Guitar Elation’s robust twist on organ jazz and let loose while enjoying the new release on their home stereos?

As I recently suggested in The Kansas City Star, "(t)he rousing recording documents the hard-grooving attack of the quartet on original compositions like “Funkshun Junkshun.”  Guitarists Brian Baggett and Danny Embrey trade astounding solos over Ken Lovern’s funky organ riffs and the impeccable grooves laid down by the internationally renowned straight-ahead jazz drummer Todd Strait."

The memorable melodies and aggressive solos are captured in an appropriately brawny sound field.  Full of vim and vigor, there’s nothing polite about the set recorded on August 10, 2017.  The delectable tension experienced by vinyl aficionados is mirrored by intriguing dynamics within the group.  Not only do the guitarists engage in friendly duals, Lovern and Bagget exhibit rock inclinations while Strait and Embrey are more closely rooted to the jazz tradition.  The divergence elevates Double Live at the Green Lady from run-of-the-mill organ jazz. 

The most appropriate response to the album is punching the volume knob to facilitate unhinged dance parties.  A raucous soundtrack to spilled drinks, bad decisions and day-after regrets, Double Live at the Green Lady is the next best thing to spending a carefree Thursday night at Kansas City’s most vital jazz club. 

The album release show for Double Live at Green Lady Lounge is Thursday, February 6.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Marbin

The members of the Chicago based fusion band Marbin are true road warriors.  Marbin returns to Kansas City for a gig at Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club on Thursday, January 30.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Steve Kraske asked the American Jazz Museum's Rashida Philips several tough questions on KCUR’s Up To Date.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Todd Wilkinson.

*Pat Metheny is on the covers of the latest issues of Jazzwise and Downbeat magazines.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Rudresh Mahanthappa- #birdlives #birdcentenary #herotrio

*Extracted from a press release: Guitar Elation will celebrate the release of Double Live at Green Lady Lounge with a performance at Green Lady Lounge from 8-11 p.m. on Thursday, February 6.  Released by Jazz Daddy Records on February 1, the album was recorded on Thursday, August 10, 2017.  Guitar Elation consists of guitarists Brian Baggett and Danny Embrey, organist Ken Lovern and drummer Todd Strait.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Too Many Zooz

After posting three times a week without a single interruption for several years, Plastic Sax is finally taking a break.  I’ll count on this abrasive performance by Too Many Zooz to bridge the gap until I resume informing (and irritating) Kansas City’s jazz community in a couple weeks.  The imaginative New York tiro performs at the Bottleneck on Saturday, February 8.