Now's the Time: Caravan Palace

Swing will resound at one of Kansas City’s busiest mid-sized venues on Tuesday, July 11.  Alas, most members of the Greatest Generation are likely to overlook the concert at the Midland theater.  The ingenious French ensemble Caravan Palace repackages vintage jazz for younger audiences that are partial to electronic dance music.  Caravan Palace updates a standard associated with Billie Holiday in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Oleta Adams will headline the Prairie Village JazzFest on September 9.  The complete lineup: 3:00 p.m.- Shawnee Mission East Blue Knights; 4:00 p.m.- The Project H; 5:20 p.m.- The Bram Wijnands Swingtet; 6:30 p.m.- Sax & Violins; 7:40 p.m.- Eddie Moore & the Outer Circle; 9:00 p.m.- Oleta Adams.

*Chris Hazelton received votes in the “Rising Star–Organ” category of the 65th Annual DownBeat International Critics Poll.

*Tweet o’ the Week: Gaslight Grill- Lynn Zimmer & The Jazz Band, live at the Gaslight Grill Wednesdays through Sundays!

*Comment o’ the Week: Anonymous- My favorite part of your site was the KC Jazz calendar. I'm sure it was a hassle to collect the info and post it, but it was appreciated. Thanks. Would you consider posting a weekly list of (random) suggested gigs? Maybe somewhat off the radar stuff?

*From a press release: The New Red Onion Jazz Babies have been exciting audiences for over 30 years. This Kansas City group is dedicated to the preservation of traditional Jazz, the way the Red Onion Jazz Babies played it in the 1920s. Spirituality & All That Jazz: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, 2017; Unity Temple on the Plaza; $7.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Organ-ized

I met a fellow music obsessive at the Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival last month.  After he raved about a stellar performance by the drummer Brian Blade, the man from Springfield, Missouri, told me about his infatuation with the Green Lady Lounge.  Although he’d long loved the sound of the instrument, he’d never actually seen a Hammond organ played until he visited the dimly-lit jazz venue at 1809 Grand Boulevard.  Even though I’m not a huge fan of organ jazz- the style that dominates the schedule of the venue’s primary stage- the enthusiasm of my new friend served as another reminder not to take the Green Lady Lounge for granted.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Now's the Time: Joe Jackson

The unexpected musical detours taken by the British pop star Joe Jackson introduced millions of people to the music of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Louis Jordan.  The enthusiastic jazz, swing and jump-blues aficionado performs at the Uptown Theater on Friday, June 23.

Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes

*Kansas City’s Oleta Adams discussed her new album Third Set with KCUR.

*The members of the Ensemble of Irreproducible Outcomes were
interviewed by a representative of the Johnson County Library.

*The Guardian reviewed the London production of the opera “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.”

*Tweet o’ the Week: KC Jazz Orchestra- Join KCJO for a USO Style Dance @UnionStationKC Friday, July 7, 2017, 8 - 10 pm. $15 in advance / $20 at the door. (link)

*Comment o’ the Week: Carol Murray- I had out of town guests last weekend who said they would definitely pay a subscription fee to be able to see my daughter's performances in KC. They are 4 hours away and want to stay up on what she's doing. So would her uncles who are out of state. When I record with Facebook live many people from Hays (where she grew up) join in. Finally, people who are in poor health and house-bound would feel connected and could support their favorite musicians during times when they can't be there in person. I think this has the potential to be a great thing. I would expect the quality of the sound and video to be better than my grainy Facebook live videos. It's the quality and convenience you pay for. - Carol Murray

*From a press release: KC Jazz Alive is proud to announce the 4th Annual Charlie Parker Celebration, to be conducted,  Aug. 17-26. This year’s event again explores and recognizes the legacy of Charlie Parker- a Kansas City native and arguably the most influential saxophonist and jazz icon to ever perform. In addition to the Parker tribute, the event serves as an opportunity to promote the musicianship of local Kansas City jazz artists as they perform alongside award-winning Artists-in-Residence Tivon Pennicott (tenor saxophone) and Sullivan Fortner (piano). The CPC is the only jazz event of its kind that pairs KC jazz musicians with internationally renowned jazz musicians from across the country. The celebration harkens back to jazz’s truest tradition of collaboration, which Charlie Parker fostered during his career. As CPC continues to grow locally and gain recognition through the U.S., this year's event will provide a New York City focus. For nine days, the Kansas City musicians and the Artists-in-Residence will further the dialog about Kansas City and Charlie Parker’s indelible impression on jazz with a variety of concerts and educational programming (schedule to be announced in the next two weeks). KC Jazz Alive again has partnered with several Kansas City jazz clubs and leading jazz promotional organizations to enhance jazz in Kansas City, while sustaining a connection to the jazz world and honoring Parker's legacy. This year’s event is again open to the public. Tickets will range from free to modestly priced.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

Album Review: Gerald Spaits- Solo Bass

Jokes are often little more than exaggerations of the truth.  The old saw about bass solos acting as excuses to talk is funny because it’s enacted at jazz performances every night.  Gerald Spaits’ 2016 release Solo Bass is a stupendous demonstration of what gabby people are missing.  The sublime artistry the Kansas City bassist exhibits on the 18-minute set shows why he’s a first-call musician for notables including Karrin Allyson and Marilyn Maye.

Now's the Time: François Rabbath

François Rabbath makes an annual trek to Kansas City to participate in the KC Bass Workshop.  The tone of the corresponding showcases by the French theoretician, 86, is conveyed by the embedded video.  This year’s concert will be held at Grace and Holy Trinity Church on Saturday, June 17.