My aversion to the music of Benny Benack doesn’t mean the New York based performer isn’t popular. The audience-pleasing glee documented in the embedded video will be displayed at the Folly Theater on Saturday, October 26.
Now’s the Time: Sachal Vasandani
The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will be joined by vocalist Sachal Vasandani at the Folly Theater on Friday, October 11. The slick crooner interprets the standard “Unforgettable” in the embedded video.
Now’s the Time: Karrin Allyson
The new season of the Folly Jazz Series opens with the return of Karrin Allyson on Saturday, September 21. She chatted with Steve Kraske about the homecoming concert.
Grading the 2024-25 Folly Jazz Series
Original image by Plastic Sax.
A spate of recent announcements continued a familiar pattern. Several prominent touring jazz artists will soon perform in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and St. Louis while passing over Kansas City. In spite of those disappointments, the assessments that follow address only what’s presented in the invariably unadventurous bookings of the Folly Jazz Series rather than bemoan the absence of speculative alternatives.
Karrin Allyson
Saturday, September 21
Grade: A
The New York based Kansas City vocalist Karrin Allyson is touring in support of the fine new album A Kiss for Brazil. What’s not to like about her homecoming?
Benny Benack III, Stella Cole and Jabu Graybeal
Saturday, October 26
Grade: D
The grouping of Benny Benack III, Stella Cole and Jabu Graybeal should be a glorious night for people who miss Jerry Vale and Dinah Shore.
The Yellowjackets
Saturday, January 25
Grade: C
Based on the fluffy fusion band’s repeated bookings, The Yellowjackets must be money in the bank for the Folly Jazz Series.
säje
Friday, February 28
Grade: B
säje, the quartet of vocalists Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick and Amanda Taylor, alternate between delicate chamber folk and deft vocalese.
Branford Marsalis
Saturday, March 15
Grade: A
Presumably performing with his longstanding quartet, Branford Marsalis’ appearance is the artistic apogee of the season.
Helen Sung with Bach Aria Soloists
Saturday, April 5
Grade: A
The pairing of jazz pianist Helen Sung and the Kansas City chamber music ensemble Bach Aria Soloists is inspired.
An assessment of the previous Folly Jazz Series engagements is here.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
Now’s the Time: Matthew Whitaker
The quintet led by Matthew Whitaker in the embedded video is considerably more progressive than the much of the music documented on the young keyboardist’s official recordings. Here’s hoping Whitaker continues looking forward during his appearance in the Folly Jazz Series on Saturday, April 6.
Now’s the Time: Norman Brown
Norman Brown makes another appearance in the Folly Jazz Series on Saturday, March 9. A cover of Janet Jackson’s 1993 hit “That’s the Way Love Goes” was the breakout track on the Kansas City guitarist’s 1994 album After the Storm.
Now’s the Time: The Hot Sardines
The Hot Sardines are becoming the house band of the Folly Jazz Series. The New York based ensemble returns to the concert hall on Saturday, January 27.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Kansas City magazine takes a peek at area speakeasies of the past and present.
*KCUR includes the Hot Sardines’ encore engagement in the Folly Jazz Series among its January concert recommendations.
Plastic Sax’s Favorite Performances of 2023
Original image of Artemis at the Gem Theater by Plastic Sax.
Top Ten Performances by Kansas City Artists
1. Mike Dillon, Brian Haas and Nikki Glaspie at the Brick
Plastic Sax review.
2. Hermon Mehari at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.
3. Adam Larson, Matt Clohesy and Jimmy Macbride at Westport Coffee House
Instagram clip.
4. Rod Fleeman at Green Lady Lounge
Instagram clip.
5. Pat Metheny’s Side-Eye at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Plastic Sax review.
6. Drew Williams, Alex Frank, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
Plastic Sax review.
7. Cynthia van Roden at the Market at Meadowbrook
Instagram snapshot.
8. Chalis O’Neal at the Blue Room
Instagram clip.
9. Alan Voss, Benjamin Baker, Forest Stewart and Evan Verploegh at Swope Park Pavilion
Plastic Sax review.
10. Rich Hill, Arnold Young and Rob Whitsitt in Volker Park
Instagram clip.
Top Ten Performances by Artists from Elsewhere
1. Samara Joy at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.
2. Devin Gray and Maria Elena Silva at the Firehouse Gallery
Plastic Sax review.
3. Bill Frisell, Greg Tardy, Gerald Clayton and Johnathan Blake at the 1900 Building
Plastic Sax review.
4. Artemis at the Gem Theater
Plastic Sax review.
5. CRAG Quartet and Joshua Gerowitz at the Bunker Center for the Arts
Instagram clip.
6. Miguel Zenón Quartet at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.
7. Henrique Eisenmann and Eugene Friesen at the 1900 Building
Plastic Sax review.
8. Robert Stillman at the Midland Theater
There Stands the Glass review.
9. Jack Wright and Ron Stabinsky at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram clip.
10. Rob Magill and Marshall Trammell at Farewell
Plastic Sax review.
(Last year’s survey is here.)
Now’s the Time: Alexa Tarantino
Alexa Tarantino’s headlining performance at the Folly Theater on Saturday, November 11, will be her third appearance in Kansas City this year. The saxophonist joined Artemis at the Gem Theater in March. (Plastic Sax review.) She played with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Folly Theater last month. Tarantino will be accompanied by pianist Steven Feifke, bassist Felix Moseholm and drummer Charles Goold on Saturday.
Now’s the Time: Marilyn Maye
Marilyn Maye, the last of the great saloon singers, returns to the Folly Theater for concerts with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra on Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28. She delivers “I’m Still Here” in a March appearance at Carnegie Hall in the embedded video.
Now’s the Time: The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Whether they love him or loathe him, jazz aficionados in Kansas City can’t say they miss Wynton Marsalis. The celebrity musician regularly appears in the area. Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performs at the Folly Theater on Friday, October 20. The concert is presented by the Harriman-Jewell Series.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s return to the Folly Theater is plugged by The Kansas City Star.
*Danny Embrey is interviewed by Ken Lovern in four new videos.
*Mary Lou Williams was remembered on an episode of KCUR’s Up To Date program.
*Pinball, a new album by Seth Davis and Kevin Cheli, was reviewed by a blogger.
Now’s the Time: Donald Harrison
The New Orleans born saxophonist Donald Harrison will “explore the theory of quantum improvisation” with theoretical physicist Stephon Alexander at the Folly Theater on Thursday, June 22. Science deniers needn’t fear: the evening’s agenda includes a sixty-minute concert.
Grading the 2023-24 Season of the Folly Jazz Series
Original image by Plastic Sax.
Tickets for individual concerts in the 2023-24 season of the Folly Jazz Series go on sale June 6. The following commentary might be used as a consumer guide. While it’s unfair to grade individual bookings against more appealing hypotheticals, the penchant of Kansas City’s jazz presenters to return to familiar standbys is an ongoing source of frustration. More than 500 of the more than 4,000 jazz albums released last year received votes in the 2022 edition of the 17th annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll. With such a vast pool from which to draw, it’s unfortunate that the same fifty acts are repeatedly engaged.
Samara Joy: October 14, 2023
Grade: A+
Samara Joy is the Folly Jazz Series’ most opportune booking in years. The charming vocalist won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in February.
Alexa Tarantino Quartet: November 11, 2023
Grade: B
Alexa Tarantino appeared in the American Jazz Museum’s Jammin’ at the Gem series in March as a member of Artemis. (Plastic Sax review.) The young saxophonist acquitted herself well.
The Hot Sardines: January 27, 2024
Grade: B
The hot jazz band The Hot Sardines is making its third or fourth appearance in the Folly Jazz Series.
Diane Schuur: February 24, 2024
Grade: B
Vocalist and pianist Diane Schuur was one of the most popular jazz artists of the 1980s and 1990s.
Norman Brown: March 9, 2024
Grade: B
Norman Brown is a smooth jazz guitarist from Kansas City. His 2022 album Let’s Get Away was favorably reviewed at Plastic Sax.
Matthew Whitaker Quintet: April 6, 2024
Grade: B-
The agreeable music of pianist Matthew Whitaker seems designed to appeal to fans of Jon Batiste and Emmet Cohen.
Album Review: Enzo Carniel, Hermon Mehari, Stéphane Adsuar and Damien Varaillon- No(w) Beauty
Hermon Mehari is on a roll. A week after thrilling a rapturous crowd at a homecoming concert at the Folly Theater on February 18, the trumpeter and three of his fellow European collaborators released the extraordinary No(w) Beauty.
The album might be even better than Asmara, the artistic breakthrough Mehari released in 2022. No(w) Beauty is distinguished by a friendly tussle between pianist Enzo Carniel and the tandem of bassist Damien Varaillon and drummer Stéphane Adsuar.
Carniel repeatedly pulls the quartet toward the center as Varaillon and Adsuar tug outward. The competitive interplay opens an accommodating space for Mehari’s slightly unconventional sensibility.
Martial rhythms and Mehari’s feathery tone occasionally evoke Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis’ landmark 1960 collaboration with Gil Evans. Yet with bits of electronica and sonic experimentation, No(w) Beauty’s is entirely in keeping with the European jazz of today.
Yet many of Mehari’s longtime fans in Kansas City will focus on a straightforward reading of "For All We Know". Mehari’s heart-melting statement on the ballad verifies his growing international reputation as an elite musician.
Now’s the Time: Anat Cohen’s Quartetinho
Anat Cohen brings her superlative Quartetinho project to the Folly Theater on Friday, May 5. The group’s album ranked fifth in Plastic Sax’s listings of The Top Jazz Albums of 2022.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Five concerts in the 2023-24 season of the Folly Jazz Series have been announced.
*Live jazz performances are greeting visitors at Kansas City’s airport this week.
*Tweet of the Week: Good Morning Football- Headed to the draft and need some local recs? The queen of Kansas City has got you covered @kimmichex (video clip)
*From a press release: The NFL announced Wednesday the headlining acts for the NFL Draft Concert Series, which will take place as part of the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City, April 27-29… As part of Day 3 festivities that highlight Kansas City culture, Grammy-winning iconic bassist and vocalist Thundercat will close out the 2023 Draft Concert Series on Saturday, April 29. He will curate a special performance which will pay tribute to the rich music history and the legacy of jazz in Kansas City.
Now’s the Time: Tia Fuller
Tia Fuller performs at the Folly Theater on Saturday, April 22. The saxophonist will be accompanied by her sister Shamie Royston on piano, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Koleby Royston in the Folly Jazz Series concert.