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Original image by Plastic Sax.
*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.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Brian Baggett Trio is featured on the latest episode of Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of performances by Deborah Brown and Wire Town.
*The Pitch checked in with Eddie Moore.
Despite enduring constant turbulence during the first 25 years of the new millennium, Kansas City’s jazz musicians never ceased creating timeless art. The following list highlights a fraction of the vital recordings released since 2000. The recency bias on display reflects Plastic Sax’s founding in 2007 as well as the uptick in the quantity and quality of releases in recent years. A corresponding non-jazz albums ranking is here.
1. Peter Schlamb- Tinks (2004)
2. Logan Richardson- Shift (2016)
3. Bobby Watson- Back Home in Kansas City (2022)
4. Hermon Mehari- Asmara (2022)
5. Bob Bowman- Songs for Sandra (2014)
6. Pat Metheny- Orchestrion (2010)
7. Ahmad Alaadeen- And the Beauty of It All (ASR 2007)
8. Karrin Allyson- Imagina: Songs of Brasil (2008)
9. Steve Cardenas- Panoramic (2002)
10. Mike Dillon- Inflorescence (2023)
11. Deborah Brown- Songbird (2003)
12. Adam Larson- With Love, From Kansas City (2022)
13. Myra Taylor- My Night to Dream (2001)
14. Matt Otto and Ensemble Ibérica- Ibérica (2017)
15. The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City- The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City (2010)
16. Kevin Mahogany- Pride & Joy (2002)
17. Micah Herman- The Ship, Vol. 1: The Studio Sessions (2011)
18. EMAS Quartet- EMS (2022)
19. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- Kings & Queens (2016)
20. Rod Fleeman Trio- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3 (2024)
21. Alaturka- Tamam Abi (2010)
22. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin' (2024)
23. Everette DeVan- For the Love of You (2014)
24. Gregory Hickman-Williams- Passages (2006)
25. Marcus Lewis Big Band- Brass and Boujee (2018)
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Eddie Moore is featured in a University of Kansas publication. Joe Dimino uploaded footage of Moore’s piano trio performing at Johnson County Community College.
*Hermon Mehari’s appearance at the 1900 Building is among KCUR’s April concert recommendations.
*From a press release: Kansas City Jazz Alive is thrilled to announce two exciting events in April... On April 27th, join us for a walking tour of one of Kansas City's most historic neighborhoods, the 18th & Vine Jazz District… On April 30th, International Jazz Day, discover how Kansas City has influenced the global jazz scene at our event "April: VividVision".
Eddie Moore offers his version of the hazy sound popularized by pianists Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm on Aperture. Six contemplative miniatures lean into ambient noises such as what seems to be the creaking of a piano bench and the distant clatter of cutlery and dishes made by the staff at the restaurant in which the 16-minute Aperture was recorded. The wistful EP is a pleasing placeholder for the prominent Kansas City jazz artist.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Eddie Moore and Jaylen Ward entered NPR’s annual Tiny Desk Contest.
*Bobby Watson appeared on a sports podcast in advance of the Super Bowl.
*Seth Allen of Libations & Company tells Joe Dimino about his new music venue in Lee’s Summit.
*Joe Dimino spoke with Isaiah Petrie.
*The famed songwriter Burt Bacharach, a Kansas City native, has died.
*Tweet of the Week: Bob Kendrick- In it’s heyday, 18th & Vine was a cultural crossroad where Baseball & Jazz intersected! Guests got a taste of that era yesterday when they were treated to live music by some talented, young Jazz musicians! (video)
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The American Jazz Museum has resurrected the Jammin’ at the Gem concert series. Four concerts have been announced without much fanfare: Najee, December 17; Eric Roberson, February 11; Artemis, March 18; the SFJazz Collective, April 1. Tickets to each concert are $65 and $75. Details are available here.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of a performance by the Charles Williams Trio at the Blue Room and interviewed Eddie Moore.
*Libby Hanssen recommends seasonal music by the Count Basie Orchestra and the Kerry Strayer Orchestra for KCUR.
*KCUR’s Up To Date program showcased TJ & The Tattletales’ revival of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
*Tweet of the Week: KU School of Music- Jazz Vespers is THIS THURSDAY at 7:30 PM @liedcenterks! The concert once again features performances of holiday favorites in a jazz and pop setting. Event is free, but tickets required: (link)
*From a press release: (A) follow-up to the 2012 ARC release Keyboard Christmas, and his fifteenth recording as a leader, Michael Pagán presents a program of holiday themed tracks… Keyboard Christmas II finds Kansas City based Pagán again in the solo piano idiom.
Matt Villinger croons about enjoying the company of friends in a smoky room on the title track of his 2022 album All Faded. The music that's “spinning everywhere” in Villinger’s scenario might be found on the new release by his fellow Kansas City keyboardist Eddie Moore.
Intuition, the debut solo album by the accomplished musician who was Plastic Sax’s 2016 Person of the Year, is a smoker’s delight. Most of the 24-minute project consists of wavy grooves that seem designed to complement the experiences of listeners who frequent dispensaries.
The shimmering “A New Me, A New You” nods to Bob James’ wavy classic “Nautilus.” The forward momentum of “Skate Park Days” explores the common ground between Lupe Fiasco and the Crusaders. A ticklish pulse makes “Brave Enough” Intuition’s most effective track.
The vibe is dampened by two selections featuring rappers. While their flows are good, the emcees add incongruous lyrical negativity. Whether or not it was Moore’s intention, Intuition is an ideal companion for the carefree consumption of chronic.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Eddie Moore chatted with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up To Date. His portion of the segment begins around the 12-minute mark.
*Skateboard celebrity Sean Malto cites Green Lady Lounge as one of his favorite Kansas City haunts in a Thrillist feature.
*Tim Whitmer’s letter praising the late Charlie Wheeler was published by The Kansas City Star.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Deborah Brown and shared footage of a performance by the JCCC Faculty Jazz Quintet.
*Footage of Leon Brady’s 90th birthday party was uploaded to YouTube.
*Wyandotte Daily published a press release for m-pact’s activities at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
*Tweet of the Week: Steve Paul- "Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley," by Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison, Ted Nash.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*A correspondent for The Boston Globe admired Green Lady Lounge.
*Nina Cherry interviewed Ryan J. Lee for The Pitch.
*Eddie Moore is among the musicians cited by Michelle Bacon in an NPR feature titled 8 Kansas City artists making a mark on their communities.
*Startland reported on the initiatives of musician and entrepreneur Tate Berry.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Brian Baggett and Brad Buckner.
*A Kansas City blogger includes plenty of jazz in a roundup of October’s best concerts and albums.
*Tweet of the Week: Cedric Feschotte- Work hard, play hard at #stuckonrepeat. Funk jazz chillin at @GreenLadyLoungewith @LandweberLab & @lohmueller (photo)
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Brian Baggett and Ken Lovern discuss Baggett’s forthcoming album in a promotional video.
*The Kansas City debut of the Los Angeles duo Ohma is reviewed at There Stands the Glass.
*Bobby Watson promoted a concert in Schenectady in a candid interview with a correspondent for Albany’s The Times-Union.
*Jazzwise considers the sound of Britain’s Big Band Metheny ensemble.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Morgan Faw and shared clips of performances by the Greg Meise Trio, Lisa Henry and the Hannover Big Band.
*Tweet of the Week: Midwest Music Foundation- JUST ANNOUNCED! Check out the official lineup for Apocalypse Meow, Nov 5th at the @recordBar, ft. Eddie Moore, MellowPhobia, The Electric Lungs, purextc, and Nathan Corsi and My Atomic Daydream! Grab tickets: (link) #apocalypsemeow #abbysfund
*From a press release: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Executive Director Lea Petrie today announced the next concert for the 2022-2023 20th Anniversary season, The Voice featuring guest artist Deborah Brown, Thursday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at … Helzberg Hall… Brown is one of many American jazz performers who found her greatest fame and recognition overseas rather than in the U.S.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Jazz at Lincoln Center created a 17-minute video portrait of Kansas City’s jazz scene.
*Adam Larson was interviewed by Nick Spacek for The Pitch.
*Jon Poses, the raconteur behind the We Always Swing concert series in Columbia, Missouri, is the subject of an All About Jazz feature.
*Joe Dimino captured footage of a Lynn Zimmer performance.
*Details about the Hannover Jazz Orchestra’s forthcoming visit to Kansas City are here.
*Tweet of the Week: MCC Kansas City- Jazz in the Valley, a free festival at MCC-Penn Valley, will be held rain/shine, 6-9 pm, Sept 30. Musicians include: Minus2, Jim Lower Big Band, Eddie Moore and a popup Jazz Academy performance at 5 pm. Free parking. Event will move inside if raining. (link)
Original image by Plastic Sax.
The introduction of The Pitch’s new music issue suggests “the entirety of KC’s music scene is jazz-incarnate.” Yet not one of the more than two dozen acts featured in the publication’s overview performs improvised music. The staff of The Pitch is free to apply its editorial discretion as it sees fit. Yet the snub is consistent with the systematic disregard of jazz in Kansas City. Neglecting the robust contributions of current innovators such as Seth Davis, Kelley Gant, Adam Larson, Eddie Moore, Logan Richardson, Peter Schlamb and Evan Verplough is the latest example of the ongoing erasure of jazz by the city’s conventional powerbrokers.
Original image of J.D. Allen, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits at the Blue Room by Plastic Sax.
I caught several dozen jazz performances in an unsettling year characterized by starts and stops. With a literal sense of danger in the air, each outing felt vital. The listing my favorite jazz-based performances in the Kansas City area includes a jaunt to Columbia for an essential bout of free jazz and a trek to Detroit to catch a Lee’s Summit native who no longer performs in his old stomping grounds.
1. J.D. Allen, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits- Blue Room
2. Pat Metheny, James Francies and Joe Dyson- Orchestra Hall (Detroit)
3. Irreversible Entanglements- Stephens Lake Park Amphitheatre (Columbia)
4. Bird Fleming and Bill Summers’ “Voyage of the Drum”- Dunbar Park
5. Rod Fleeman- Green Lady Lounge
6. Eddie Moore, Ryan J. Lee and Zach Morrow- Charlotte Street Foundation
7. Thollem McDonas- 9th and State
8. Jeff Kaiser, Kevin Cheli and Seth Davis- Charlotte Street Foundation
9. Mike Dillon and Nikki Glaspie- 1900 Building
10. Second Nature Ensemble- Westport Coffee House
Lists of the top albums of 2021 are here. Links to similar annual top-show surveys for the past 11 years begin here.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Last night’s concert featuring students of UMKC’s jazz program streams on YouTube.
*Kansas City Magazine catches up with Eddie Moore.
*Tweet of the Week: American Wild Ensemble- Another Missouri Music at 200 video is out today, and we are very happy to share this collaboration between Marcus Lewis, Glenn North, and @AmWildEnsemble (link)
*From a press release: Kansas City Area Youth Jazz is pleased to announce that the application and audition process for 2022 Youth Jazz Fellowships is now open for submissions. Kansas City Area Youth Jazz has two ensembles: the Leon Brady Ensemble (LBE) and the Bill Crain Ensemble (BCE)…. Interested candidates should contact (Chris) Burnett with your name, instrument, email address, mobile phone number at director@youthjazz.us.
Marcus Lewis performs at Ça Va, a champagne-themed Westport establishment, every Thursday this month. The trombonist will be joined by keyboardist Eddie Moore and drummer Zach Morrow on Thursday, November 11.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
A thrilling performance by a band led by Eddie Moore at the Tank Room five years ago was a factor in his selection as the 2016 Plastic Sax Person of the Year. The keyboardist’s appearance with Ryan J. Lee (keyboards/electronics) and Zach Morrow (drums) at Charlotte Street Foundation on Thursday, July 22, was no less triumphant. Bolstered by excellent sound, captivating video projections and a capacity audience of about 100 spirited admirers, Moore’s trio offered a vital fusion of jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop. Renderings of “Misunderstood” and “Single Double”, the new songs that opened and closed the hour-long set, were bigger and bolder than the recorded versions. Time will tell if the memorable concert was merely a satisfying summation of Moore’s career to date or the cornerstone of a new era for Kansas City’s music scene.
Image by Jason Piggie.
Eddie Moore has acted as a change agent since his arrival in Kansas City several years ago. His willingness to go on the record about perceived disparities on the jazz scene and his eager embrace of popular music make Moore a civic and artistic leader.
Misunderstood, the new album by Moore’s group We The People, puts Kansas City’s jazz community on notice. Along with bassist Jason Emmond, drummer Zach Morrow and turntablist Keith Rodgers, the keyboardist created a blend of jazz fusion, soul-jazz and the synthesis of improvised music and hip-hop associated with California based musicians like Flying Lotus.
We The People’s disruptive intent is made explicit by spoken word samples and rapping. On “KFC”- it’s clearly not a song about fried chicken- We The People decry Kansas City’s fixation on jazz heritage and lament “you gotta f##king grow.” The ferocious outburst “50th Law” features unhinged musical aggression and a grungy sound field.
Not all 28 minutes of Misunderstood are dyspeptic. “Enough” is a gospel-infused self-empowerment anthem featuring rapturous vocals by Angel Gibson. “The Truth” is undulating neo-soul while the contemplative “Round Up” recalls the prettiest tracks on Moore’s solo albums.
We The People throw down the gauntlet with Misunderstood. History suggests the majority of Kansas City’s jazz community will respond with unknowing indifference. Yet whether the recording is embraced or ignored, Misunderstood will stand as an essential document of this tumultuous time.
Original image of Gary Giddins’ Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker by Plastic Sax.
*Eddie Moore, Hermon Mehari and Jackie Myers are among the musicians paying tribute to Charlie Parker in an episode of Eight One Sixty.
*Television news stations reported on area Charlie Parker celebrations here, here and here.
*The New York Times lists the best ways to observe the centennial of Charlie Parker’s birth.
*Marcus Lewis chatted with Joe Dimino.
*The Kansas City Star reports that Johnson County Community College is rescheduling its fall concerts. The slate included an appearance by Larry Carlton.
*Tweet o’ the Week: Kansas City PBS- Just in case you haven't heard: On the centennial of Charlie "Bird" Parker's birth, we're taking a look back at the 21 years #Bird spent in #KansasCity and his lasting impression on present-day #KC jazz. Take our word for it, you don't want to miss this premiere! August 29!