Triumphs, Vol. 1 is a giddy blend of cosmic jazz, Dada absurdism and third stream experimentation. Quietly released in October, the expansive soundfield forged by II-Wands is indebted to Soft Machine, Igor Stravinsky and Sun Ra. Spoken word, otherworldly singing, strings and percussion evoke hallucinatory dreamstates. II-Wands is billed as a “(c)ollection of living composers and new works from the United States.” Contributors to the collective’s often amusing sketches include the notable Kansas City musicians Benjamin Baker and Brant Jester.
Now’s the Time: Matt Kane
Drummer Matt Kane returns to town for a set as a leader with pianist Brant Jester and bassist Bob Bowman on Monday, October 2. Kane’s new album Song Poems was released September 1.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*KCUR’s Steve Kraske interviewed Terell Stafford ahead of the trumpeter’s scheduled appearance at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.
*Libby Hanssen surveyed Kansas City’s experimental music scene for Classical KC.
*Brant Jester and Alex Frank chatted with Joe Dimino. Dimino also captured footage of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival.
*The Kansas City Star published a guide to the Jazz District.
*Tweet of the Week: MarmaDukeNuke'Em3D- I am the youngest person here by a wide margin