Album Review: Jackie Myers- What About the Butterfly

Witnessing the transformation of Jackie Myers from a peripheral figure on Kansas City’s jazz scene to one of the region’s most compelling artists has been extraordinarily gratifying. Quietly upping her game in incremental steps, Myers’ resolute work in recent years is reaping dividends. 

On any given night, Myers applies her talents in a variety of contexts in Kansas City cafés, restaurants and barrooms. The variety of sounds- pop, rock, blues and, yes, jazz- coalesce on What About the Butterfly. The new album marks the culmination of a remarkable metamorphosis. 

Not only is What About the Butterfly superior to Myers’ previous recordings, the album makes most jazz-rooted efforts seem unimaginative and simplistic. Her ambitions extend well beyond conventional Kansas City jazz.

Support from elite collaborators including Bobby Watson helps the album compare favorably to the arty pop of Laura Nyro, the contemporary soul of Cory Henry and the fastidiousness of Jacob Collier. Rarely has Kansas City been the setting for a more pleasing musical glow-up.

Now’s the Time: Iver Cardas

The Norwegian guitarist Iver Cardas will be joined by the top-tier Kansas City musicians Pete Fucinaro, Jeff Harshbarger and Ryan Lee at the Ship on Thursday, April 10.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Lonnie McFadden is the subject of an 18-minute documentary created by a cable television travel channel.

*Bob McWilliams of Kansas Public Radio was honored by the state of Kansas.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Jackie Myers and Scotty Barnhart.

*From a press release: The KU School of Music is proud to announce that Keegan Kaiser is the recipient of The Presser Foundation’s 2024-25 Undergraduate Scholar Award. The Award is designed to encourage and support the education of a music student who has achieved a high level of musical and academic excellence, demonstrated leadership and service, and contributed to an inclusive community…. “Keegan has been the lead alto saxophonist in KU Jazz Ensemble I since the beginning of his freshman year,” says Gailey. “During that time, the band has won three consecutive DownBeat Student Music Awards in the category of best college jazz ensemble in the United States and also was selected as a finalist at Wynton Marsalis’ Rudin Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where Keegan was also recognized as the most outstanding musician on any instrument at the event.”

Album Review: Bob James and Dave Koz- Just Us

"Nautilus" is one of the greatest artistic achievements of the 20th century. But what would happen if the pungent funk and lavish production were peeled away from the signature sound of the Marshall, Missouri, native Bob James?

Just Us, the new album by James and saxophonist Dave Koz, indicates melody is king. In a modest way, Just Us’ eleven acoustic duets are just as satisfying as James’ plush disco jazz of the 1970s.

The octogenarian’s unquestioned jazz chops pair nicely with Koz’s tart alto and soprano saxophones tones on a mix of original material like "Sommation" and "T W O" and standards including "All the Way".

The spare setting accentuates the sentimental streak associated with both artists. James’ responsibility for loads of saccharine dreck can’t be denied. The purity of Just Us, however, results in mature tenderness rather than repellent schlock.

Now’s the Time: RSS Trio

The new video for RSS Trio’s “Searching” is one second shy of 4:20. The lapse represents a missed opportunity to correspond with the song’s unmistakably wavy intent. The band plays the late shift at Green Lady Lounge on Friday, March 28.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A University of Kansas press release publicizes Eddie Moore’s latest album.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Anita Dixon-Brown.

*OJT is featured in the most recent Live at Green Lady Lounge program on Kansas Public Radio.

Concert Review: The Branford Marsalis Quartet at the Folly Theater

A storied American band played a European form of jazz at the Folly Theater on Saturday, Mary 15. The Branford Marsalis Quartet’s uncharacteristically continental ninety-minute concert was a high-concept triumph.

The band reimagines Keith Jarrett’s 1974 album Belonging on its forthcoming album on Blue Note Records. Even when the band wasn’t previewing material from Belonging, the distinctive tone of the ECM Records recording permeated the performance. 

The singular American pianist Jarrett was joined by Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson and Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen on Belonging. Marsalis’ channeling of Garbarek provided the audience of about 1,000 a highly refined but undeniably peculiar experience. (I paid $42 for my ticket.)

Even when Marsalis switched to Ben Webster mode on vintage blues selections like “There Ain’t No Sweet Man That’s Worth the Salt of My Tears,” he and the band retained a sense of cool reserve.

Pianist Joey Calderazzo seemed to enjoy offering new insights into Jarrett’s legacy. As always, the superlative bassist Eric Revis impressed. The absence of Justin Faulker, the quartet’s current drummer, resulted in accidental entertainment.

Realizing that the frequent admonishments of drummer David Hawkins made by the three veterans were visible to the audience, Marsalis explained Hawkins was playing his second gig with the band. Hawkins, a drummer with deep Kansas City ties, didn’t seem fazed by the hazing. In fact, his powerhouse attack was welcome.

Carl Allen and Houston Smith of Kansas City joined Marsalis and Calderazzo for the encore. Calderazzo’s son sat next to his father. The child looked alternately awed, baffled and delighted. His was precisely the right reaction to the slightly disorienting but entirely wonderful concert.

Now’s the Time: Helen Sung

Pianist Helen Sung often explores the intersection of jazz and classical music. On Saturday, April 5, the native Texan will collaborate with the Kansas City chamber music group Bach Aria Soloists at the Folly Theater. Portions of the concert will likely resemble the performance in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program aired a performance by the Sam Platt Trio last week.

Concert Review: Dawson Jones at Green Lady Lounge

While the Phoenix has long served up jazz-ish brunches, Green Lady Lounge recently resumed offering performances of undiluted jazz on Saturday mornings. Saturday appearances by vibraphonist Dawson Jones currently run from 11:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. 

With no televisions, bright lights or rambunctious children to interfere with recovery from Friday night revelries, Green Lady Lounge is an ideal place to ease into Saturday. The heavenly sound of vibraphone provides a comforting soundtrack for indulging in the hair of the dog or merely sipping coffee.

Dawson’s conception differs from the approaches taken by the prominent Kansas City vibraphonists Mike Dillon, Isaiah Petrie and Peter Schlamb. Accompanied by bassist Andrew Voggesser on March 8 and saxophonist Pete Fucinaro on March 15, Dawson’s sublime sound is reminiscent of Gary Burton.

Voggessor’s aggressiveness waylaid any opportunity for tweeness on material including an imaginative contrafact of Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation.” A week later, Fucinaro tackled a contrafact of “How Deep is the Ocean” as if his life depended on it.

The performances merited rousing ovations. Yet only a pair of diehards showed up to the opening sets. Not only were the regulars present for an experience unique to Kansas City, they knew that the good times were just getting started. The room gradually fills up before the final notes are played at 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

Now’s the Time: Matt Villinger

Matt Villinger is preparing for the release of an album by his powerhouse plugged-in band All Night Trio. Yet it’s highly unlikely that the versatile keyboardist and bandleader will showcase material like "All Faded" during his noon recital at Polsky Theatre on Tuesday, March 18.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The Kansas City all-star band Wire Town is featured in the new episode of Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program.

Concert Review: Bram and Lucy Wijnands with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater

Lucy Wijnands introduced a rendition of “I’m Old Fashioned” with disarming candor at the Folly Theater on Saturday, March 1. She admitted “we thought this would be appropriate for tonight.” The presentation of period music would have been excruciatingly corny in lesser hands. Instead, the evening of retro-jazz was an artistic triumph.

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra featured keyboardist Bram Wijnands and his daughter Lucy in a generous acknowledgement of an area mainstay that demonstrates the organization’s ongoing commitment to the Kansas City community. The concert was a capstone in Bram’s career. For the New York based Lucy, the night was a memorable coming out party.

Bram Wijnands, a noted stride piano specialist prone to madcap antics, arranged all the material aside from the opening selections of the first and second sets. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra may never have sounded better than on Wijnands’ chart for the Count Basie Orchestra’s 1937 classic “Topsy”.

Turns in the spotlight by trumpeter Trent Austin and saxophonist Brad Gregory stood out amid dozens of impeccable solos. Wijnands’ statements on piano and celesta were similarly thrilling. Kansas City audiences have come to expect excellence from Wijnands and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Wijnands’ daughter Lucy is a relative newcomer.

Lucy Wijnand’s fully realized talent stunned unsuspecting members of the audience of approximately 350. (I was comped.) She shone most brightly while focusing on material Ella Fitzgerald recorded from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Just as her father didn’t attempt to copy Basie’s signature piano style, Lucy didn’t ape Fitzgerald. Instead, her rich vocals resembled Judy Garland as much as Fitzgerald. Stale moments were few and far between. The vim and vigor of the Wijnands and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra made old-fashioned sounds seem brand new.

Now’s the Time: The Branford Marsalis Quartet

The ironic title of the Branford Marsalis Quartet’s potent 2000 album Contemporary Jazz seems even more contentious 25 years later. The embedded video features a rendition of the opening track “In the Crease.” The band will attempt to substantiate its primacy at the Folly Theater on Saturday, March 15.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The Brian Ward Trio is featured in the latest installment of Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program.

*KCUR looked into one of Kansas City’s Fat Tuesday traditions.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Rob Scheps and Lucy Wijnands. He also shared footage of Bram and Lucy Wijnands’ collaboration with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater.

Concert Review: Aaron Sizemore, Forest Stewart and Mike Warren at Music House School of Music

The trio of Aaron Sizemore, Forest Stewart and Mike Warren occupy a unique niche in the Kansas City area. During its regular gigs at Music House School of Music, a Prairie Village instruction emporium overseen by Sizemore- the trio performs an otherwise neglected form of jazz.

On Thursday, February 27, the trio entertained more than a dozen people with an approach that might have sounded more in keeping with jazz heard in Lisbon, Oslo or Vienna than Kansas City. 

Sizemore’s deliberate approach evokes contemporary guitarists including Kurt Rosenwinkel and Pat Metheny. Stewart often sounds indistinguishable from famed electric bassist Steve Swallow. And Warren is a first-call drummer with the range of Billy Hart.

Yet it’s repertoire that sets the trio apart. Strong original material is supplemented by impeccable covers. On Thursday the trio tackled Keith Jarrett’s “Bop-Bee” and “Alliance” by the expansive Kansas City saxophonist Matt Otto. Elegant echoes of Europe resounded in a Kansas suburb.

Now’s the Time: Bram and Lucy Wijnands with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

The Folly Theater hosts the inspired pairing of the father-daughter tandem of Bram and Lucy Wijnands with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, March 1. The Wijnands perform at the London cabaret Crazy Coqs in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Leon Brady, one of Kansas City’s most eminent jazz educators for decades, has died.

*The Pitch published a profile of Matt Hopper.

*Carl Allen was honored by the Jazz Education Network.

Album Review: Brennan Connors, Seth Andrew Davis, Jakob Heinemann and Evan Verploegh- Alchemy of Stone and Star

“That’s Not Art, That’s Not Music”, the title of Lonnie Holley’s rancorous new single, is a phrase I’ve encountered while sharing my enthusiasm for sounds made by members of Kansas City’s The Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society.

Alchemy of Stone and Star, a live 2023 recording released four months ago, won’t win over listeners for whom free jazz is anathema. Yet the freewheeling collaboration of guitarist Seth Andrew Davis and drummer Evan Verploegh of Kansas City with the northern Midwest saxophonist Brennan Connors and bassist Jakob Heinemann is riveting.

Inventive interactions between Davis and Verploegh in the 19-minute “Decoding the Maps” achieve transcendence. Connors’ maturity is a revelation while Heinemann brings cohesiveness to the exceptionally artful music.

Now’s the Time: säje

säje makes its Folly Jazz Series debut on Friday, February 28. The vocal quartet consists of Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick and Amanda Taylor. The song performed in the embedded video won a Grammy Award in the category of “Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals” earlier this month.