Scrollin' arrived just in time for the new school year. The 20-minute release from Alyssa Murray is a shimmering form of Pocket Operator jazz. Murray’s colloquial approach is reflected in offhand track titles like “who woulda thunk”. Yet because she’s been on the Kansas City jazz scene for years, Murray’s work is several cuts above much of the music associated with the popular YouTube channel beats to relax/study to. With Scrollin’ on repeat, hitting the books has rarely seemed so enticing.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Performances and discussions featuring the Pittsburgh based Deanna Witkowski, a Mary Lou Williams scholar and jazz pianist, will be part of Creative City KC’s celebration of Jazz Day on April 30.
*Julie Denesha caught up with Lonnie McFadden for KCUR.
*Joe Dimino documented Alyssa Murray’s recent appearance at the Blue Room.
*David Basse’s site hosts Brian Scarborough’s interview with trombonist Steve Davis.
*Tweet of the Week: Kansas City Tweets from 1922- "In the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District, rollicking, riffing, and rambunctious music was the soundtrack of the 20s and 30s, and it lasted all night long." A concert to memorialize that is Saturday, May 14th. I'm going! (link)
*From the American Jazz Museum: After a two-year break during the pandemic, the 18th and Vine Jazz Festival is returning to the Gem Theater and American Jazz Museum in Kansas City’s 18th and Vine Historic Jazz District. The 2022 festival is an annual three-day event for middle school and high school jazz ensembles, scheduled for 8am to 5pm Thursday, April 21st through Saturday, April 23rd. Although it started 20 years ago, this will be the 18th year of the festival after the two-year break due to Covid.
Now’s the Time: Alyssa Murray
Alyssa Murray is an esteemed advocate and respected collaborator on Kansas City’s jazz scene. As the embedded video indicates, she’s also an engaging art-pop artist. Murray will perform during the lunch hour at the Blue Room on Thursday, April 14.