Album Review: David Lord- Way Over the Rainbow

Woulda, shoulda, coulda. What-if scenarios as explanations of the absence of critical and commercial recognition are invariably pathetic. Still…

If David Lord hadn’t released Way Over the Rainbow on December 12, the album would likely have found its way on several year-end best-albums-of-2025 lists, including my own.

If Way Over the Rainbow had been issued by a prominent record label with a publicity department rather than being self-released by the guitarist, the anomalous Americana album would almost certainly have found a larger audience.

If Lord wasn’t based in Wichita he might have a better shot at being rightfully recognized as one of improvised music’s most interesting artists.

The ballyhooed guitarist Jeff Parker appears on three rarefied Way Over the Rainbow selections. The playing of bassist Dale Black, drummer Charles Rumback and vibraphonist Sam Hake (on one track) is no less elevated.

Apparently, none of that matters. Not even the presence of Parker had previously inspired a single review. Members of Lord’s avid cult following may have to accept that the world isn’t ready for his brilliant but abstruse conception.

Now's the Time: The Westerlies

The jazz-adjacent brass quartet The Westerlies perform at Polsky Theatre on Friday, February 20. The Seattle based group’s next two albums are dedicated to the compositions of Bill Frisell.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Shaun Crowley and Eddie Moore participated in a discussion of Kansas City’s music economy on KCUR’s Up To Date.

*Marcus Lewis promoted the KC Winter Jazz Fest on 90.9 The Bridge’s Eight One Sixty program.

Concert Review: The Joshua Redman Quartet at the Folly Theater

Familiarity breeds contempt. I begrudgingly paid $37.50 for a pocket-sized seat in the back row of the Folly Theater on Saturday, February 7. The event was the fifth time I’ve caught up with Joshua Redman in the past eleven years. 

The saxophonist played the Folly Theater in 2019 (Plastic Sax review), collaborated with the Bad Plus at the Gem Theater in 2015  (my review for The Kansas City Star), and at the Folly in 2007 (Plastic Sax review). I also heard Redman at New York City’s Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in 2017 (Plastic Sax review).

Rather than harboring disappointment with the reliably excellent Redman, I was irritated by the propensity of jazz presenters in Kansas City to feature the same acts year after year. Kansas City apparently doesn’t share my fussiness. A near-capacity audience of almost 1,000 paid rapt attention to Redman, pianist Paul Cornish, bassist Philip Norris and drummer Nazir Ebo.

My gloom dissipated as it became apparent the quartet was operating at the apex of mainstream jazz. Compositions that sound flat on the 2025 album Words Fall Short were enlivened by elite interplay and stupendous solos. Yet allusions to more adventurous sounds provided the highlights of the 100-minute performance.

Redman’s fire-breathing introduction to a selection concluded with a piercing high note, causing an agitated woman in front of me to cover her ears. An extended unaccompanied solo by Cornish ranged from Art Tatum to Robert Glasper. Norris and Ebo made similarly prodigious statements.

As at Branford Marsalis’ outing at the Folly Theater eleven months ago, the Kansas City based drummer Carl Allen sat in with the band for one tune. While I might long for the likes of Mary Halvorson, I’ll never pass on an opportunity to  hear Marsalis or Redman in Kansas City.

(Reed Jackson composed a more conventional review of Redman’s concert for Spectrum Culture.)

Now's the Time: The Brian Baggett Trio

Kansas City guitarist Brian Baggett is renowned for bringing a rock sensibility to jazz. Yet the embedded video indicates edginess is just one component of his multifaceted sound. Baggett leads a trio at Green Lady Lounge on Monday, February 16.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A television station notes the passing of Anita Dixon-Brown.

*A television reporter waxes ecstatic about construction in the Jazz District.

*A television news report hints at disaffection following approval of an additional $3.2 funding for renovations at the American Jazz Museum.

*A trio led by Loren Broaddus submitted an entry to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest.

Album Review: NO(w) Beauty- (un)Seen

Fifteen years ago, Hermon Mehari’s jazz trio Diverse led a Michael Jackson tribute show at a rock venue in Kansas City. While it doesn’t resemble Thriller stylistically, (un)Seen, Mehari’s new album with the quartet NO(w) Beauty, is imbued with the dynamic sensibility associated with Jackson and producer Quincy Jones.

As on an ambitious pop album, no two tracks on (un)Seen are alike. The innovative merger of conventional swing, Eastern Mediterranean folk traditions, European classical music and Euro-jazz offers a series of surprises.

Guest artist Sam Amidon contributes plaintive vocals to “The Birds’ Enlightened Path.” The rhapsodic"Inner Spaces” is enhanced by strings while “Zones de l’oubli” consists entirely of a string quartet. “Zone 11: Territoire(s)” employs the maximalist tactics associated with Tigran Hamasyan.

The fragile melancholy of the standout track “Atlantic Currents” will buckle the knees of Mehari aficionados. The song also features a sprightly solo from pianist Enzo Carniel, Damien Varaillon’s burly bass and the skittering drums of Stéphane Adsuar.

It’s easy to hear why the quartet was named “the French band of the year” by two publications following the release of 2023’s NO(w) Beauty. In 2009, Mehari was The Plastic Sax Person of the Year. Seventeen years later, Mehari is succeeding in an ongoing quest to “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”.

Now’s the Time: Ernest Melton

Although the Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum has yet to open in 2026, jazz continues to be performed in the Jazz District at the Mutual Musicians Foundation and at Vine Street Brewing. Saxophonist Ernest Melton appears in the latter space on Friday, February 6.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The American Jazz Museum has proposed a $3.2 million dollar renovation plan that includes relocating the Blue Room to a larger space in its facility. Meanwhile, the Blue Room’s online calendar remains empty.

*Joe Dimino paid tribute to the late Anita Dixon-Brown.

*UMKC spotlighted drummer Matt Roberson in a press release.

*Bob Long, a professor at Missouri Western State University, was honored at the Missouri Music Conference.

Poll Tax

Two momentous year-end jazz critics polls- The 20th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll and El Intruso’s The 18th Annual International Critics Poll- were published during my recent sojourn in Japan. Details about the Kansas City artists who received representation follow.

Hosted by The Arts Fuse, the 20th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll focuses on albums. Carl Allen’s Tippin' placed at #61 among the 576 releases receiving votes in the New Albums ranking. Anat Fort’s The Dreamworld of Paul Motian featuring guitarist Steve Cardenas, received a single nod.

Brittany Davis’ Black Thunder received one vote in the Vocals category while Pete Fucinaro’s Little Window and Henry Scamurra’s Urban Forum each received a single vote in a tally of debut albums.

Even though it was released on October 25, 2024, Charlie Parker’s Bird in Kansas City placed at #23 among the 208 titles receiving votes in the reissue category. Here’s my ballot.

The Argentine jazz periodical El Intruso’s ambitious referendum has a more progressive orientation. Hermon Mehari (one vote as best trumpeter) and Pat Metheny (one vote as best guitarist) were the sole musicians with Kansas City affiliations to be acknowledged. My ballot can be found by searching for “Plastic Sax.”

Four of the eight artists highlighted here wouldn’t have been mentioned in the polls without the participation of Plastic Sax. Either the sounds made by Kansas City artists aren’t reaching ears beyond the metropolitan area or they’re failing to make a lasting impression on jazz journalists.

Now's the Time: Joshua Redman

The Folly Jazz Series resumes on Saturday, February 7, with the excellent quartet led by Joshua Redman. The saxophonist is slated to perform with pianist Paul Cornish, bassist Philip Norris and drummer Nazir Ebo.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

Notices about three of the most significant developments occurring on Kansas City’s jazz scene while Plastic Sax was visiting Japan in recent weeks follow.

*Anita Dixon-Brown, one of the most consequential figures in Kansas City’s cultural community, died January 4. She’s best known for her association with the Mutual Musicians Foundation and for her efforts in securing Kansas City’s status as a UNESCO Creative City.

*Pat Metheny revealed details about his next album. Side-Eye III+ will be released on Metheny’s new Uniquity Music record label on February 27. "In On It" is the album’s first single.

*As in recent years, The Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum is shuttered this January.

Cool Swing

I recovered the guileless purity of my initial infatuation with jazz in Japan this month. As a scratchy copy of Phineas Newborn Jr.’s 1961 album A World of Piano! played at a jazz kissa in Kyoto, I focused on the music without the intrusion of a single analytic thought.

Unconcerned about Newborn’s legacy, the contrast between the playing of Philly Joe Jones and Louis Hayes or the possible influence of the recording on musicians back home in Kansas City, I allowed the forty-minute album unfiltered access to my soul.

It felt so good.

Conversely, attending a gig by a piano trio led by Riyoko Takagi was stressful. After waiting on the stairs of the sold-out Tokyo basement club Naru for thirty minutes, I was allowed to stand at the back of the venue.

Fifty patrons focused on  the Takagi original “Cool Swing” and standards including “Moanin’” and “Manhã de Carnaval” with frightening intensity. I paid the equivalent of $40 for cover and a one-drink minimum for the bucket-list experience.

I also encountered jazz in unexpected places during my first trip to Japan. Frothy J-pop is clearly the dominant genre, but classic jazz played at many of the establishments I frequented. 

Tokyo’s massive Tower Records complex has a solid jazz section. I found the Count Basie album pictured above while cratedigging at a department store. And when I encountered an antiques dealer at a flea market in Ueno Park playing Fletcher Henderson recordings, Japan suddenly felt like my second home.

Brian Steever: The Plastic Sax Person of the Year

Brian Steever’s vital role in Kansas City’s jazz community was clarified during the drummer’s performance at the album release show for Drew Williams’ Demons Hate Fresh Air in December.

The set closed with a robust reading of Paul Motian’s “The Owl of Cranston” in which Steever once again demonstrated that he’s Kansas City’s equivalent of the legendary drummer. Like Motian, Steever is equally adept in straight-ahead and avant-garde settings.

With drumsticks serving as extensions of his long limbs, Steever is a joy to watch as he elevates every gig on which he appears. Steever’s  annual collaborations with Steve Cardenas are especially rewarding. 

Steever’s exceptional work on strong 2025 albums by Kansas City stalwarts Gerald Spaits, the aforementioned Williams and Wire Town further certifies the drummer as Plastic Sax’s 2025 Person of the Year.

The previous recipients of the designation are Dwight Frizzell (2024), Matt Otto (2023), Seth Davis and Evan Verploegh (2022), Rod Fleeman (2021), Charlie Parker (2020), Logan Richardson (2019), Peter Schlamb (2018), John Scott (2017), Eddie Moore (2016), Larry Kopitnik (2015), Deborah Brown (2014), Stan Kessler (2013), Doug and Lori Chandler (2012), Jeff Harshbarger (2011), Mark Lowrey (2010) and Hermon Mehari (2009). Bobby Watson was named the Plastic Sax Person of the Decade in 2009 and again in 2019.

Now’s the Time: Bram Wijnands

Bram Wijnands entertains at KC Bier Co. on the afternoon of Sunday, January 4. The stride pianist’s collaboration with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater was a highlight of 2025.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A brief television news report examines the state of the Jazz District.

Concert Review: Marilyn Maye at the Folly Theater

Frank Sinatra. Lena Horne. Tony Bennett. Mel Tormé. Bobby Short. Of the prominent twentieth century vocalists in the saloon singer and torch song traditions, Marilyn Maye is the last legend standing. The ninety-seven-year-old’s homecoming concert at the Folly Theater on Sunday, December 21, provided a life-affirming experience for an audience of about 750. (I paid $39 for a balcony seat.)

Accompanied by pianist Tedd Firth, guitarist Rod Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Ray DeMarchi, Maye focused on material she performed during her 76 appearances on the late-night television program The Tonight Show.

A screen above the stage during portions of the two-set show displayed video and photographic excerpts featuring Maye, Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. Yet the wildly charismatic star didn’t rely on visual aids. Maye’s jokes remain funny and her voice is still strong.

Renditions of vintage material including “Cabaret,” “The Way We Were” and “Hello Dolly” were culled from Maye’s commercial peak fifty years ago. Yet Maye is anything but a has-been. Having outlived her peers and most of her core audience, Maye is an exemplar of artistic excellence and a heroic role model.

Now’s the Time: Mark Slimm Trio

What are you doing New Year’s Eve? Given the strong slate of locally based talent, the absence of a gig by a touring jazz artist isn’t a problem in Kansas City. A trio led by organist Mark Slimm entertains holiday revelers from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at Green Lady Lounge on New Year’s Eve.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Footage of Marilyn Maye’s concert at the Folly Theater was shared by Joe Dimino.

The Top Stories and Trends of 2025 in Kansas City Jazz

1. Fucinaro and Scamurra
The Kansas City saxophonists Pete Fucinaro and Henry Scamurra released strong debut albums in 2025. The ongoing youth movement represented by Fucinaro’s Little Window and Scamurra’s Urban Forum is a compelling reason for optimism.

2. Festival Revival
The KC Blues and Jazz Festival brought Stanley Clarke, Karl Denson and Bill Frisell to a baseball stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, on October 4. The event was the area’s first large-scale jazz event featuring touring artists since 2017.

3. Musical Chairs
Dr. Dina Bennett resigned as the Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum. Turnover at the institution is concerning.

4. Detour Ahead
The planned transformation of a portion of 18th Street into a pedestrian walkway made access to Jazz District landmarks including the American Jazz Museum and the Gem Theater difficult for much of the year. (See above photo.)

5. Evergreen
Green Lady Lounge remains the focal point of live jazz in Kansas City. Green Lady Lounge hosts more than three times the combined number of jazz performances at the Blue Room, the Ship and Westport Coffee House, the second, third and fourth most significant presenters of jazz in Kansas City.

6. Nevermore
Corvino is the most prominent of several establishments to either completely close or cease featuring live jazz in 2025.

7. Alt Jazz
Sonic experiments that are largely unwelcome in conventional venues thrive in hidden recesses including house parties, a bookstore, an underground cinema and a repurposed church.

8. Best Year Ever
No Kansas City jazz musician had a bigger year than Jackie Myers. Her relentless performance schedule included tours and festival placements. Myers’ ambitious album What About the Butterfly was reviewed by DownBeat magazine, a distinction among Kansas City artists shared only by Carl Allen in 2025.

9. Disinformation Campaign
Visit KC continues to insist that Kansas City is home to “more than 40 jazz clubs” as it promotes next year’s World Cup matches. The convention bureau’s dissembling is outlandish.

10. Persistence
Plastic Sax published 32 album reviews, two book reviews, nine concert reviews, six editorials and 45 gig previews featuring Kansas City musicians in 2025.

Last year’s recap is here.