Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Andrew Ouellette was featured in the Hannibal Courier Post.

*Gennaro Caggiano was interviewed by Joe Dimino.

*Chuck Haddix and Steve Kraske consider the latest collection of rare Charlie Parker tracks.

*Jazzwise’s review of a solo Pat Metheny concert in London references the guitarist’s immersion in “the Kansas City jazz scene that had few guitarists.”

*From a press release: The year 2024 marks the 60th birthday of the beloved drummer, composer, and bandleader Matt Wilson. His acclaimed ensemble, the Christmas Tree-O, featuring multi-reed legend Jeff Lederer and revered bassist Paul Sikivie, also celebrates their new album Tree Jazz: The Shape of Christmas to Come… The band will be performing in Wichita as part of their national tour on December 6 and 7 at 8 PM at Walker's Jazz Lounge.

Jazz Night in Kansas City (Is Every Night)

Attending performances by locally based jazz musicians is what I miss most about Kansas City while traveling. While I regularly take advantage of high-profile concerts by cutting-edge improvisers who rarely appear in Kansas City in my destinations, few locales match the depth of artistry showcased nightly in the Kansas City area.

Following a trip to the tropics, I caught up with a portion of the embarrassment of riches on Thursday, November 15. My outing began at the Music House School of Music in Prairie Village. The storied trumpeter Stan Kessler joined the house band of guitarist Aaron Sizemore, bassist Forest Stewart and drummer Michael Warren.

Sizemore tends to incorporate European innovations of recent decades into his sound, a disposition that differentiates him from his peers in Kansas City. The singularity didn’t make an impression on harried music students on strict schedules at the busy facility. The small audience at Thursday’s no-cover event consisted of the usual suspects. A video of the concert streams here.

In the Lowest Ferns couldn’t be more different. The West Bottoms club specializing in electronic dance music occasionally hosts jazz musicians. About 25 fashion-conscious people paid a $15 cover charge to take in the first set by saxophonist Ernest Melton, keyboardist Parker Woolworth, bassist Jordan Faught and drummer Jaylen Ward. The quartet’s spiritual soul-jazz was enhanced by a fog machine.

Two blocks away, Peter Schlamb unveiled an instrument he described as his “new toy” in a free show at The Ship.  The slippery tones of the MalletKAT added another weapon to the vibraphonist’s formidable arsenal. The high-energy improvisations of Schlamb, saxophonist Matt Otto, keyboardist Matt Villinger, bassist Sebastian Arias and drummer Zach Morrow were stunning.

In an act that felt like a cultural misdemeanor, the two eldest people among the audience of 20 left at the conclusion of the first set at 10:15 p.m. I nodded in agreement when a savvy old head suggested “that’s the best band in Kansas City” as we shuffled to the door. For me, Shlamb’s electric band sounds like home.

Now’s the Time: John Fedchock

The prominent trombonist John Fedchock is barnstorming Kansas City. His appearances include a gig at the Blue Room on Saturday, November 16. Fedchock is touring in support of his new album Justifiably J.J., a tribute to trombone luminary J.J. Johnson.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Tim Whitmer discussed his new album with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up To Date.

*Ken Lovern told Joe Dimino about OJT’s new album.

*The New York Times remembered the Missouri-born Nora Holt and KCUR recalled Kansas City native Dana Suesse.

*From a press release: Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Executive Director Alyssa Bell Jackson today announced the next concert for the 2024-2025 Signature Series, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. at Helzberg Hall… The annual Kansas City Jazz Orchestra holiday concert, set against visuals from the cherished television special, will feature swinging big band arrangements from KCJO Artistic Director Clint Ashlock.

Album Review: Matt Otto, Xose Miguélez and Abe Rábade- The Landscape Listens

The Landscape Listens is an auspicious benediction. The collaboration between Kansas City’s Matt Otto and the Galacian musicians Xose Miguélez and Abe Rábade acts as a restorative balm for vanquished souls.

The calming collaboration between like-minded saxophonists Miguélez and Otto and pianist Rábade is exquisite jazz-based chamber music. Even though there’s never a moment of facile escapism, the lovely melodies and inspired solos are sonic sanctuaries.

Otto has dazzled Kansas City’s jazz community with his form of cool jazz for 16 years. Miguélez and Rábade share his passion for the sounds associated with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. Rábade invokes Chick Corea.

"Epílogo" is among the pieces with the lilt of Corea compositions like “La Fiesta”. The other tracks are just as gorgeous. Whether the listener is seeking spiritual consolation or mellow sophistication, The Landscape Listens is the right album at the right time.

Album Review: Addison Frei- Coin Flip

Heads, Bill Charlap. Tails, Brad Mehldau. The title of Coin Flip might be interpreted as references to the output of the heralded piano trios led by Bill Charlap and Brad Mehldau. Addison Frei may not be quite as accomplished as those jazz luminaries, but the album released in July indicates the musician raised in Lawrence, Kansas, is becoming increasingly worthy of comparison to elite pianists. Joined by bassist Tamir Shmerling and drummer Diego Joaquin Ramirez, Frei alternates between evoking Charlap’s mainstream elegance and Mehldau’s piano trio explorations. Coin Flip’s most rewarding moments occupy the sweet spot at the high-flying intersection of the two approaches.

Now’s the Time: Adam Larson

Adam Larson returns to the Hey Hey Club on Saturday, November 2. A younger version of the stellar saxophonist performs in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Chuck Haddix told The Pitch’s Nick Spacek about the backstory of the new Charlie Parker album Bird in Kansas City.

*From a press release: Kansas City Jazz Orchestra continues the 2024-25 season with.. Bright Size Life, featuring guitarist Rod Fleeman, Saturday, November 16, at the Folly Theater. Rod Fleeman is a founding member of The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and has appreciated Pat Metheny’s virtuosity since he first saw the guitarist play in the early 1970s…

Album Review: Tim Whitmer Good Time Quartet- Double Live at Black Dolphin

Tim Whitmer has specialized in giving jazz fans in Kansas City exactly what they’ve wanted for more than forty years. The veteran’s joy-infused, smile-inducing and foot-stomping music delivers the goods for listeners preferring old-fashioned fun to high-brow innovation.

The cheerful sensibility of the pianist and bandleader isn't static. The new album Double Live at Black Dolphin shows how his celebratory sound continues to evolve. Saxophonist Michael Herrera II, bassist Chase McRoy and drummer Ray DeMarchi match Whitmer’s exuberance while avoiding excessive sentimentality.

“Back Alley Bluz” epitomizes the approach. Herrera’s slow, stirring solo and Whitmer’s evocation of Jay McShann on the original composition are conclusively Kansas City. “Brookside Boogie” and “Basie’s Back in Town” are similarly buoyant. Yet the album isn’t a nonstop party. A refreshed reading of “Dancing with Theresa” is among the solo piano statements adding depth to the nearly two-hour recording. 

Whitmer frequently quotes the phrase “these are the good old days” in his social media posts. In this instance, the axiom is spot-on. City Light Orchestra’s classic 1984 album Raised Spirits excepted, Double Live at Black Dolphin is the definitive Whitmer album.

___

The album release party for Double Live at Black Dolphin will take place at Black Dolphin from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m on Saturday, November 2.

Now’s the Time: Sammy Rae & The Friends

The jazz-adjacent ensemble Sammy Rae & The Friends entertains at the Midland theater on Friday, October 25. As the embedded video indicates, the New York based group splits the difference between the jazz-based crossover sound of Snarky Puppy with indie-pop acts like Kansas City’s the Greeting Committee.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The Kansas City Star provides an update on the delayed refurbishment of Boone Theater in the Jazz District.

*From a press release: Preparations for the 2025 Fellowship of the Kansas City Area Youth Jazz program are underway with the announcement of the audition dates for Season 7 and the introduction of the 2025 FELLOWS album cover. This is a spring and summer only program that doesn’t conflict with school, college, or other institutional music programs… 2025 Fellowship Auditions are Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Album Review: Charlie Parker- Bird in Kansas City

Responding to the announcement of Bird in Kansas City in a social media post last month, a civic booster expressed hope that the October 25 release would be issued on vinyl. (It is.) If the enthusiast hopes to secure the 13-track Charlie Parker set as a treasured collector’s item, he’ll be entirely satisfied. If he’s seeking a superior audiophile experience, however, he’s bound to be disappointed by the album.

Captured in Kansas City in 1941 (two tracks), 1944 (four tracks) and 1951 (seven tracks), the previously discarded scraps were never intended for public consumption. The sonic quality of Bird in Kansas City is little better than the Dean Benedetti bootlegs.

Parker’s brilliance obviously transcends the limitations of scratchy documentation. Bird in Kansas City’s two 1941 tracks with Jay McShann are a hoot. Even though he had yet to achieve full flight, Bird soars higher than his peers on the 1944 sessions. Bird’s aggressive attack on 1951 interpretations of “Cherokee” and “Body and Soul” display the fury of a rebel hellbent on disrupting jazz convention. 

The latter tracks make the release of Bird in Kansas City the most substantive music-related event of the year in Kansas City. In addition to providing new insights into the evolution of Parker’s genius, the set is mandatory listening for every self-respecting Kansas Citian.

Now’s the Time: Benny Benack

My aversion to the music of Benny Benack doesn’t mean the New York based performer isn’t popular. The audience-pleasing glee documented in the embedded video will be displayed at the Folly Theater on Saturday, October 26.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Jazzy B’s Diner, a Lee’s Summit establishment that occasionally hosts jazz performances, is featured in The Kansas City Star.

The Top 25 Kansas City Jazz Albums of the Past 25 Years

Despite enduring constant turbulence during the first 25 years of the new millennium, Kansas City’s jazz musicians never ceased creating timeless art. The following list highlights a fraction of the vital recordings released since 2000. The recency bias on display reflects Plastic Sax’s founding in 2007 as well as the uptick in the quantity and quality of releases in recent years. A corresponding non-jazz albums ranking is here.

1. Peter Schlamb- Tinks (2004)
2. Logan Richardson- Shift (2016)
3. Bobby Watson- Back Home in Kansas City (2022)
4. Hermon Mehari- Asmara (2022)
5. Bob Bowman- Songs for Sandra (2014)
6. Pat Metheny- Orchestrion (2010)
7. Ahmad Alaadeen- And the Beauty of It All (ASR 2007)
8. Karrin Allyson- Imagina: Songs of Brasil (2008)
9. Steve Cardenas- Panoramic (2002)
10. Mike Dillon- Inflorescence (2023)

11. Deborah Brown- Songbird (2003)
12. Adam Larson- With Love, From Kansas City (2022)
13. Myra Taylor- My Night to Dream (2001)
14. Matt Otto and Ensemble Ibérica- Ibérica (2017)
15. The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City- The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City (2010)
16. Kevin Mahogany- Pride & Joy (2002)
17. Micah Herman- The Ship, Vol. 1: The Studio Sessions (2011)
18. EMAS Quartet- EMS (2022)
19. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- Kings & Queens (2016)
20. Rod Fleeman Trio- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3 (2024)

21. Alaturka- Tamam Abi (2010)
22. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin' (2024)
23. Everette DeVan- For the Love of You (2014)
24. Gregory Hickman-Williams- Passages (2006)
25. Marcus Lewis Big Band- Brass and Boujee (2018)

Now’s the Time: Sachal Vasandani

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will be joined by vocalist Sachal Vasandani at the Folly Theater on Friday, October 11. The slick crooner interprets the standard “Unforgettable” in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Dan Kelly of The Kansas City Star and Steve Kraske of KCUR interviewed Angela Wildflower about her role in the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s production of “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.”

*Dr. Dina Bennett and Gerald Dunn of the American Jazz Museum discuss Dunn’s career in a forty-minute video.

Concert Review: Heliophonie at Charlotte Street Foundation

Adventurous passengers traveled the spaceways at Charlotte Street Foundation on Thursday, October 3. Heliophonie, the second of four performances in the Sonic Art Series overseen by Sun Ra adherent Dwight Frizzell acted as a celestial excursion.

Sound effects virtuoso Tony Brewer and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Alonzo Conway served as the centrifuge of the spaceship. Four additional musicians- saxophonists Frizzell, saxophonists Thomas Aber and Norbert Herber and cellist William Plummer- were positioned outside the concentric seats commandeered by sonic pilgrims.

Each four-minute and 48-second component of the suite opened and closed with the tolling of a gong and was augmented by dramatic lighting and video projections. The Sun Ra-inspired grooves featuring bass clarinet duets, Frizzell’s EWI saxophone and a plethora of Brewer’s noisemakers compelled one fellow traveler to noodle dance.

In his introductory remarks, Frizzell suggested Heliophonie is a religious work. The sacred rite invoking the sun god Ra was convincing. For a transcendent hour in the cosmic spaceship, I worshiped like an ancient Egyptian.

Now’s the Time: Nick Finzer

The touring trombonist Nick Finzer performs with a student band at Johnson County Community College on Wednesday, October 9, and in a quartet format at Westport Coffee House on Thursday, October 10.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*David Hudnall of The Kansas City Star reports on the announcement of the eventual shuttering of 7th Heaven’s flagship store at 7621 Troost Avenue. The retailer played a major role in the careers of many area musicians. 7th Heaven hosted dozens of in-store performances by jazz and experimental musicians in recent years.

*"I Found a New Baby", the second track from the forthcoming Charlie Parker album Bird in Kansas City, is available on streaming services.