The Top Stories and Trends of 2024 in Kansas City Jazz

1. Ten dollars, please
The cover charge at Green Lady Lounge and its sister club Black Dolphin was boosted to $10. The impact of Kansas City’s most popular jazz venue commanding the meaningful entry fee surely altered the perception of the music’s worth. 

2. Better angels
The release of Bird in Kansas City, an assortment of essential scraps, accorded Charlie Parker the kind of attention living jazz musicians in Kansas City can only dream about.

3. Extempore
The burgeoning clout wielded by the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society included a public radio audio feature and a tireless performance schedule. The collective also presented more touring improvising musicians than any other music venue or arts organization in Kansas City in 2024.

4. Heaven Can’t Wait
7th Heaven, the Kansas City music retailer most closely aligned with jazz, shuttered after 50 years in business.

5. Rolling
Dozens of Kansas City based jazz musicians released an unprecedented number of albums in 2024. Plastic Sax’s favorite albums list represent just a portion of worthy new recordings.

6. Blind Boone Remembered
Bill McKemy launched the Nameless and Unremembered podcast. The endeavor examines the “hidden stories of American music.”

7. Road Trip, Part One
The inaugural edition of the Lee's Summit Jazz Festival was encouraging and the Prairie Village Jazz Festival continues to thrive. Jazz Winterlude at Johnson County Community College, brings in one touring act each year. The three suburban undertakings account for all of the Kansas City area’s non-academic jazz festivals.

8. Road Trip, Part Two
Dozens of prominent touring jazz artists passed over Kansas City in favor of gigs in Bentonville, Denver, Iowa City, Joplin, St. Louis, Tulsa and Wichita.

9. Mythbuster
A massive crowd for Yo-Yo Ma’s last-minute appearance in Parade Park decimated the long-cited trope that suburbanites are unwilling to enter the Jazz District.

10. Big Fish, Small Pond
Plastic Sax continues to be the preeminent source for analysis and news concerning Kansas City jazz.

Last year’s recap is here.

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.

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: 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.

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.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Harold O’Neal and Dr. Dina Bennett praised Charlie Parker in a television news report.

*The American Jazz Museum offers a new Charlie Parker-related souvenir.

*From a press release: Verve Records announces Bird in Kansas City, an album featuring a new set of rare recordings dating from between 1941-1951, to be released globally on October 25, 2024 on vinyl, CD, and digitally and available to pre-order here. Much of this collection has never been heard before and some recordings have never even been known to exist… To celebrate the announcement of Bird in Kansas City, the first track, “Cherokee,” is available now. Listen & watch the visualizer "Cherokee". Chuck Haddix — scholar and author of Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker, who also produced and wrote liner notes for this album — says, “‘Ray Noble’s ‘Cherokee’ was one of Bird's favorite songs.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Kansas City magazine highlights three Spotlight: Charlie Parker events.

*A recent review of his new album Paganova suggests Michael Pagán is “a true magician”.

*From a press release: Jazz St. Louis is thrilled to announce Jazz St. Louis Presents Paquito D'Rivera and Chucho Valdés, Together Again!, a two-night fundraising event featuring Cuban jazz legends Paquito D'Rivera and Chucho Valdés Sept. 18-19, 2024 in St. Louis. Longtime friends and collaborators, the two renowned performers have a combined 29 GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards between them. D'Rivera and Valdés will each perform both nights, with the first event taking place Sept. 18, 2024, at Steward Center, the home of Jazz St. Louis in Grand Center. The second night will happen Sept. 19, 2024, at The Sheldon, a larger venue to allow more St. Louisans to experience the legendary musicians… Details are available here.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Footage of the Lee’s Summit Jazz Festival was shared by Joe Dimino and a television news outlet. 

*From a press release: Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Clint Ashlock today announced the 2024-2025 Signature Series: Experiences, alongside the newly appointed Executive Director Alyssa Bell Jackson, who assumed her position earlier this year.  The season: Unforgettable featuring vocalist Sachal Vasandani, October 11, 2024 at 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall; Bright Size Life featuring guitarist Rod Fleeman, November 16, 2024 at 7 p.m. Folly Theater; A Charlie Brown Christmas, December 10, 2024 at 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall; Always and Forever featuring Bram and Lucy Wijnands, March 1, 2025 at 7 p.m. | Folly Theater; Level Up! April 5, 2025 at 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall; Glamour of Old Hollywood featuring Brenna Whitaker May 31, 2025 at 7 p.m. | Folly Theater

*From a press release: Join us for a free community event with the KU Jazz Ensemble I before their European tour! (7:30 p.m. Monday, July 15 at Lied Center Auditorium.) KU Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dan Gailey, is the flagship ensemble within the Jazz Studies program at the University of Kansas. The program has received 32 DownBeat Student Music Awards, including Jazz Ensemble I’s 2023, 2021, 2019 and 2015 awards in the Graduate Division for Best College Big Band in the United States or Canada, and their Outstanding Performance Awards in the same division in 2024, 2022 and 2017.

*From a press release: ECM releases Pat Metheny's Bright Size Life as part of its Luminessence audiophile vinyl-reissue series… Available August 2, 2024, in Celebration of Metheny's 70th Birthday.

*From a press release: Craft Recordings is pleased to announce Ornithology: The Best of Bird, a brand-new Charlie “Bird” Parker collection that introduces the legendary saxophonist through 11 classic tracks. Spanning 1945–1953, the album compiles material from the influential jazz artist’s most prolific era… Arriving August 23 and available for pre-order today, Ornithology will be available on 1-LP, 1-CD and digital formats, while fans can find the album in two limited-edition pressings, including Canary Yellow vinyl (exclusively via Spotify Fans First) and Ruby (Barnes & Noble).

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Reporting on a junket to Kansas City partly subsidized by Visit KC, a correspondent for The Times of London mentions Green Lady Lounge and the American Jazz Museum in a Taylor Swift-themed feature.

*Larry Tye promoted his book The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Count Basie Transformed America on KCUR.

*From a press release: It has been a very long wait, but, with the combined efforts of three celebrated jazz musicians – and with the approval of the step-daughter of the great Charlie Parker – we proudly announce the release of "Pree's Wings", a composition and recording that not only adds to the Parker legacy, but fills a significant historical and musical void that has lasted nearly 70 years! As is well-known, Parker composed two brilliant jazz compositions for his children, “Kim,” for step-daughter Kim and “Baird Laird” for his natural son with Chan Richardson. However, Bird never composed a song for daughter “Pree” who, seriously ill from birth, tragically died as a toddler… After lengthy conversations with Parker’s still-surviving jazz vocalist step-daughter, Kim – and receiving her approval, three internationally known jazz artists, trumpeter/writer, Nick Mondello, saxophonist/arranger/composer, Gio Washington-Wright, and vocalist/lyricist, Giacomo Gates - each a lifelong acolyte of Parker’s legacy - combined forces to compose both an instrumental and vocal original composition dedicated to Kim Parker and named after the child who never had a Parker-composed song dedicated to her – “Pree’s Wings.”

*From a press release: Kansas City Jazz A.L.I.V.E. is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $10,000. This grant will support Spotlight: Charlie Parker, an annual Kansas City-wide celebration of the life and music of Kansas City’s native son, Charlie “Bird” Parker, held in August.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The Kansas City Star observes the 25th anniversary of the installation of Robert Graham’s Charlie Parker statue in the Jazz District.

*From a press release: Spotlight: Charlie Parker 2024 celebrates the jazz icon’s 104th birthday with jam sessions and musical tributes, tours, lectures, exhibits, panel discussions, workshops, and concerts. The annual program was developed to honor Parker (also known as “Bird”), his legacy, and impact on jazz in Kansas City and worldwide. The event also provides educational opportunities and promotes the music of local Kansas City jazz artists who will perform at select events/venues during the month… Highlighting this year’s Spotlight: Charlie Parker will be a new partnership with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and a performance August 24th at the Folly Theater. For information about event details as they become available, visit: Spotlight: Charlie Parker.

*From a press release: Please join us in congratulating students in the KU School of Music’s Jazz Studies Program for their recent success at the 47th Annual DownBeat Student Music Awards. The awards were announced this month, where KU Jazz Ensemble I and the KU Jazz Singers each received Outstanding Performance Awards in the graduate divisions of Large Jazz Ensembles and Vocal Jazz Ensembles. KU Jazz Ensemble I has made a significant impact on the jazz music scene, as this marks the fourth consecutive year they have received an SMA award. The ensemble has also received seven awards out of the last ten years.

Album Review: Charles McPherson- Reverence

A few devoted Kansas City jazz fans made the 150-mile trek to Joplin to witness Charles McPherson’s homecoming concert in February. The elite Charlie Parker acolyte has stayed the course since his birth in the southwest corner of Missouri in 1939. Featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong and drummer Billy Drummond, McPherson’s new live album Reverence is certain to delight Bird purists. Pushed by his all-star band on the tribute to the late pianist Barry Harris, the octogenarian brings the wit of wisdom of the ages to bear on Reverence. His ornithology is inescapable, but the imprint of the years McPherson spent with Charles Mingus is also evident. The vigor of McPherson’s inspiring playing is more than worthy of a cross-state road trip.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Joyce Smith posted a preliminary report on X about plans for a new jazz club in the Watts Mill district.

*A local television news outlet considered the impact of Charlie Parker.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Prominent Kansas Citians including Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Bobby Watson consider the local erasure of Charlie Parker’s legacy in Ian Ritter’s think piece for Belt magazine.

*Charlie Parker and Bobby Watson are referenced in a Classical KC feature about the intersection of jazz and classical music.

*A vlogger shared footage depicting the atmosphere at Green Lady Lounge.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Seth Davis, Mike Dillon and Matt Otto received votes in El Intruso’s 16th Annual International Critics Poll.

*A slightly different version of the audio feature about Charlie Parker’s Grafton saxophone created for KCUR in December aired nationally on NPR’s Morning Edition program last week. 

*Joe Dimino shared footage of recent performances of bands led by Pete Fucinaro and Adam Larson.

*WBGO aired a travelog set in Kansas City’s Jazz District.

Jazz Caucus

The crucial Iowa caucus takes place on January 15. For improvised music obsessives, equally vital electoral returns arrived earlier this month. The 18th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll is the most comprehensive and meaningful of the yearly jazz surveys.

More than 500 titles released in 2023 received at least one vote from the poll’s 159 participants in the foremost new album category. In separate groupings, 57 debut albums, 51 vocal albums and 40 Latin jazz albums were acknowledged. (My ballot is here.)

Pouring over the results to glean meaning is akin to reading tea leaves, or for those who dislike innovative jazz, more like the ancient practice of divining the future by examining the entrails of animal sacrifices. 

The expansiveness of this year’s poll indicates there’s little consensus even within the secluded jazz community. The staggering deluge of vital jazz exacerbates the form’s esoteric image. 

Kansas City is represented by Pat Metheny’s Dream Box (#78 with four votes) and Matt Otto’s Umbra (tied at #473 with a single vote). In the Rara Avis category, the reissue of the Massey Hall concert featuring Charlie Parker (#26 with three votes) and the Basie All Stars’ Live at Fabrik Vol. 1: Hamburg 1981 (tied at #101 with one vote) were also recognized.

In a corresponding essay, Tom Hull, the man overseeing the complex tabulations for the poll, ponders the electorate’s consumption of the form. As a courtesy to Hull and on the off chance any Plastic Sax readers are curious, I’ve responded to his queries.

How many promos do you get and listen to?
I received less than a dozen CDs and vinyl albums last year. I have access to innumerable complimentary digital downloads.

How much streaming (do) you do?
A minimum of ten hours a day.

How much radio (do) you listen to? 
I rarely listen to terrestrial radio. I stream loads of archived radio features and programs.

What (is) the split… between jazz and other music?
Approximately a third of the music I consume is jazz.

What other kinds of music do you like or hate? 
I love all types of music.

(Are you) giving up some amount of (professional) opportunity cost to (cover jazz)?
Yes. It’s especially nice when an occasional endeavor unexpectedly pays off.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Charlie Parker, Count Basie and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society were name-checked in a recent episode of the Eight One Sixty program on 90.9 The Bridge.

*Dave Scott checked in with Joe Dimino.

The Original Plastic Sax

I’m proud of the audio features I created for Kansas City’s National Public Radio member station KCUR this year. I doubted if I could top profiles of a jazz rebel, a breakout rap star and an Ozarks folkie. But my final effort of 2023- an examination of the saga of the plastic saxophone played by Charlie Parker at Massey Hall in 1953- may be my best piece of the year. The story includes interviews with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and the American Jazz Museum’s Dr. Dina Bennett and Gerald Dunn about Kansas City’s legendary artifact.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Pat Metheny won Guitarist of the Year in DownBeat magazine’s 99th Reader’s Poll. Other Kansas City area artists receiving votes: Charlie Parker and Bobby Watson.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Pat Metheny was heckled at a concert in San Diego. George Varga of The San Diego Union-Tribune filed a report on the incident.

*An appearance by Terence Blanchard is among KCUR’s November concert recommendations.

*The American Jazz Museum created a video recap of its recent Charlie Parker birthday celebration concert.

*David Hudnall highlights the live music presented at the Gates Bar-B-Q location in the Jazz District for The Kansas City Star.

*Marilyn Maye checked in with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up To Date program.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Aaron Diehl’s adaptation of Mary Lou Williams’ orchestration of Zodiac Suite was released by Mack Avenue last week.

*Joe Dimino shared footage of the Jackie Myers Trio performing at KC Bier Co.

*From a press release: On May 15, 1953, five of jazz’s most influential musicians – Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, and Bud Powell – gathered at Toronto’s Massey Hall for what would result in their first and only known recording as a quintet. While only a small audience was able to experience it in person, this historic evening was captured on tape. The resulting album, The Quintet: Jazz at Massey Hall, would become one of the genre’s most essential and celebrated releases. Now, Craft Recordings commemorates the 70th anniversary of this singular concert (2023) with Hot House: The Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Recordings, a definitive collection that presents the entirety of the evening’s recorded material by the members of this quintet. Arriving November 17 and available for pre-order today, the 3-LP, 2-CD and digital release features meticulous 24-bit audio restoration and remastering…

*From a press release: Longtime Kansas City jazz guitar hero Danny Embrey is releasing his first recording of new music under his name since 1988… Bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Brian Steever join Danny on this freewheeling live recording. The compositions are mostly by Danny with a couple by Gerald Spaits and one each by Brian Steever and Kansas City piano legend Russ Long… The performances on this recording were captured live at Green Lady Lounge earlier this year. Danny leads a trio in the downstairs Orion Room every Friday and Saturday from 7:30 to 10:30, and has done so for several years now.  CD Release Event on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 7:30 pm in the downstairs Orion Room at Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand, Kansas City, Missouri. The show lasts till 10:30, but the first set will include many of the new tunes from the CD and stories about their origin… CDs will be available for $10 each at Green Lady Lounge on the day of the show…  Digital copies will be available as of October 2 on all major streaming platforms.