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Original image by Plastic Sax.
*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…
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.
*New releases by Betty Bryant, Seth Andrew Davis, Rod Fleeman and Pat Metheny are among the 366 albums receiving votes in the 2024 Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll. Plastic Sax’s ballot is here.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*A band led by Adam Larson headlines the The Prairie Village Jazz Festival on September 7.
*Green Lady Lounge shared videos featuring Rod Fleeman discussing the third installment of his Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge album series and his role in the Kansas City jazz supergroup Wire Town.
*The Kansas City Star published a feature about the queer brass band Sass-A-Brass.
There are two types of people in the Kansas City area: those who recognize Green Lady Lounge as a civic treasure and those who have yet to enjoy one of the region’s most indelible experiences. Rod Fleeman’s longstanding Saturday afternoon residency is the most sublime of the weekly showcases at the popular jazz club.
The guitarist is joined by bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Ray DeMarchi on Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3. Memorable compositions, exquisite group interplay and astonishing sonic clarity make Volume 3 the best release yet in the series.
Fleeman became an extraordinarily accomplished jazz classicist after forgoing a career in jazz fusion. His thorough mastery of jazz guitar from Django Reinhardt through Wes Montgomery is evident throughout Volume 3.
Spaits is given plenty of room to showcase his prodigious talent. The tactful DeMarchi never overwhelms his bandmates. The relaxed ambiance of Saturday afternoons at Green Lady Lounge also contributes to the recording’s worth. Yet the album isn’t merely a local souvenir. The music on Volume 3 would impress audiences in mainstream jazz venues from New York City to Tokyo.
Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3 is available at streaming services and at digital retailers. The official CD release event takes place at Green Lady Lounge from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Queen Bey, once a prominent Kansas City based vocalist, has died.
*Green Lady Lounge recently initiated a series of lunchtime performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The venue’s May calendar lists offerings from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays prior to Rod Fleeman’s long-standing Saturday residency that begins at 2:30 p.m.
*Here’s a second way to listen to the KCUR audio feature about the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society.
*The American Jazz Museum is featured in a National Endowment of the Arts "grant spotlight".
*From a press release: Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Executive Director Alyssa Bell-Jackson today announced the final concert for the Conversations in Jazz 2023-2024 Season, This is Kansas City featuring two beloved Kansas City jazz greats Deborah Brown and Bobby Watson. This concert will be recorded live for an album to be released next season. This is Kansas City concert originally was to be held May 17 and 18 at the Folly Theatre. The concert will now be held on May 17 only.
The beautiful ballad “Tell Me Now” closes the debut album of Wire Town. No less rapturous than the collaboration of legendary guitar heroes Jim Hall and Pat Metheny, the hushed “Tell Me Now” is an outlier on Kansas City.
The eight tracks preceding “Tell Me Now” exemplify Green Lady Lounge’s signature sound: jaunty instrumental jazz rendered by elite musicians. Each of the esteemed members of Wire Town- guitarists Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Todd Strait- are closely associated with Green Lady Lounge.
Recorded live at the bustling Kansas City venue, the 69-minute Kansas City is a winning showcase for the considerable talents of the quartet. With the exception of “Tell Me Now,” the uptempo selections are vehicles for engaging soloing and seamless interplay.
The album’s official release show is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, January 28, at Green Lady Lounge.
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.)
Kansas Public Radio uploaded a batch of Rod Fleeman solo performance videos to YouTube this week. The guitarist can be found at Green Lady Lounge every Saturday afternoon. Fleeman’s new episode of Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program streams here.
Many people would agree with the proposition that the most delightful hours of the week transpire on Saturday afternoon. Looking back on Friday night’s fun while anticipating the impending evening’s revelry often results in several carefree hours.
An astute group of discerning jazz fans in Kansas City savor Saturday afternoons for an additional reason. Rod Fleeman, the elite Kansas City guitarist named Plastic Sax’s 2021 Person of the Year, leads a trio every Saturday afternoon at Green Lady Lounge.
Partly because Ray DeMarchi replaces drummer Todd Strait, the new Saturday Afternoon at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 2 has a slightly jauntier feel than the first volume. The impeccable bassist Gerald Spaits appears on both sets.
Although all 13 selections are original compositions, much of the fun consists in hearing Fleeman weave in, out and around famous riffs, licks and melodies. His quotes range from Duke Ellington to The Beatles. Yet Fleeman isn’t a mere punster.
While playful, the references are just one element in the pretense-free, good-time music that just incidentally happens to be magnificent art. The effervescent Saturday Afternoon at Green Lady Lounge series makes that undiluted joy accessible anytime and anywhere.
Original image of Judith Shea’s “Storage” by Plastic Sax.
*Rod Fleeman discussed his new album with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up to Date program.
*Nina Cherry caught up with Marilyn Maye.
*A television station reports on concerns related to the latest round of development plans for the Jazz District.
*Snippets of a Jackie Myers performance at Ophelia’s were captured by Joe Dimino.
*More than 500 albums received votes in the 17th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll. Kansas City is represented by Bobby Watson’s Back Home in Kansas City (#106), Steve Cardenas’ Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley (#125), Pat Metheny’s Side-Eye NYC (#347) and Hermon Mehari’s Asmara (#414). My ballot is here.
*No Kansas City establishments are among the 106 venues listed in Downbeat’s 2023 International Jazz Venue Guide.
*Tweet of the Week: StrayhornProject- Congratulations to Caden Bradshaw from Kansas City, winner of our ‘Strayhorn; An Illustrated Life’ book raffle. Caden is an up and coming jazz pianist himself. We will continue to wish him well on his musical journey! (photo)
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*When he wasn’t raving about the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society, the author of Plastic Sax played jazz and jazz-adjacent music including tracks by Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio, Anna Butterss and “Ode to Mary,” Moor Mother’s tribute to Mary Lou Williams on a best-of 2022 radio program.
*Soirée Steak & Oyster House, a restaurant in the Jazz District that occasionally features jazz performances, is the beneficiary of a crowd-funding campaign.
*Mike Dillon chatted with Joe Dimino.
*Tweet of the Week: Mo- My friends and i trying to take pictures at @GreenLadyLounge last night (meme)
*From a press release: CD Release Event at Green Lady Lounge on Saturday, January 14, from 2:30 to 5:30 pm.: After decades of working as a sought-after sideman and invaluable collaborator for the likes of Karrin Allyson, Diane Shuur, Marilyn Maye, and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, guitarist Rod Fleeman has released his first album as a leader. Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge captures Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits, and drummer Todd Strait performing a set of original material at Kansas City’s most popular jazz venue.
*From a press release: Jazz/Punk Raconteur Mike Dillon & Punkadelick are on tour, performing locally for a CD Release Party at The Brick, Wednesday, January 4… Punkadelic is a trio featuring Mike Dillon (Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool) on vibraphone, marimba, Prophet 6, congas, and bongos; Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog and melodica; and Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce) on drums, cymbals and vocals.
The secret is out. Rod Fleeman’s longstanding weekly matinee gig at Green Lady Lounge has long been one of Kansas City’s hidden gems. The release of Saturday Afternoon (Live at Green Lady Lounge) reveals the magic of the furtive Saturday afternoon tradition to the world.
The guitarist has spent decades as one of Kansas City’s most in-demand sidemen. He’s best known for his collaborations with Karrin Allyson, Marilyn Maye and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Incredibly, Saturday Afternoon is Fleeman’s first album as a leader.
In one of the absorbing videos in which he discusses his life and career with Ken Lovern, Fleeman says “I want to sound like I’m from Kansas City.” He’s succeeded. Saturday Afternoons is 52 minutes of unadulterated Kansas City swing.
Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Todd Strait perform six original compositions with jubilant informality. While Fleeman disdains flash, his solos prove that tastefulness needn’t be devoid of color. His wit and imagination are displayed throughout.
Many readers were baffled when Fleeman was named Plastic Sax’s 2021 Person of the Year. His low profile- exacerbated by the lack of a recording as a leader prevented the guitarist from receiving his due. Fleeman gets an overdue turn to shine on the radiant Saturday Afternoon.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Rod Fleeman chats with Ken Lovern about his debut album, his relationship with Pat Metheny, working with notable vocalists and Kansas City’s jazz legacy in a set of five videos: one, two, three, four and five.
*Joe Dimino discussed the Uptown Lounge with Alan Stribling and shared footage of a youth jazz performance.
*Tweet of the Week: Menace- Enzo Carniel returns to MENACE alongside Hermon Mehari, Stéphane Adsuar and Damien Varaillon as No(w) Beauty. The self-titled album will be released on February 24, however, the first single 'The Art of Four' is available today on all platforms. (link)
The Top Ten Kansas City Jazz Albums of 2022
1. Bobby Watson- Back Home in Kansas City
2. Hermon Mehari- Asmara
3. Steve Cardenas- Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley
4. Adam Larson Trio- With Love, From Kansas City
5. Adam Larson Trio- With Love, From Chicago
6. Krista Kopper and Evan Verploegh- For the Trees
7. Arnold Young and the Roughtet- Fear Is the Mind Killer
8. Rod Fleeman Trio- Saturday Afternoon: Live at Green Lady Lounge
9. Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio- All Faded
10. Stephen Martin- High Plains
The Top Ten Jazz Albums of 2022 by Artists from Elsewhere
1. Moor Mother- Jazz Codes
2. Mary Halvorson- Belladonna
3. Nate Wooley- Ancient Songs of Burlap Heroes
4. Dave Douglas- Songs of Ascent: Book 1- Degrees
5. Anat Cohen- Quartetinho
6. Matthew Shipp Trio- World Construct
7. Tyshawn Sorey- The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism
8. Nduduzo Makhathini- In The Spirit of Ntu
9. Gerald Clayton- Bells on Sand
10. Daniel Villarreal- Panamá 77
Links to previous annual surveys begin here.
Original image of Bob Bowman and Peter Schlamb by Plastic Sax.
Top Performances by Kansas City Artists
1. Logan Richardson + Blues People at the Ship
2. Adam Larson, Clark Sommers and Dana Hall at Westport Coffee House
3. Black Crack Revue at Westport Coffee House
4. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at recordBar
5. Arnold Young and the RoughTet at the Ship
6. Bob Bowman and Peter Schlamb at Second Presbyterian Church
7. Evan Verplough and Ben Baker at World Culture KC
8. Rod Fleeman at Green Lady Lounge
9. Alter Destiny at Charlotte Street Foundation
10. Drew Williams, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
Top Performances by Artists from Elsewhere
1. Nduduzo Makhathini at the Blue Room
2. Ohma at the Midland theater
3. Livia Nestrovski and Henrique Eisenmann at the 1900 Building
4. High Pulp at recordBar
5. Phillip Greenlief at Bushranger Records
6. Terence Blanchard at Atkins Auditorium
7. Keefe Jackson, Jakob Heinemann and Adam Shead at Black Dolphin
8. Esthesis Quartet at the Blue Room
9. Kind Folk at the Black Box
10. Bill Summers and Forward Back at Dunbar Park
The word “tasteful” sometimes acts as code for tame forms of jazz. The characterization is unmodified by aspersion in the case of the music of guitarist John Stein. The recently released Lifeline, a 145-minute compilation of “26 tracks spanning 23 years and 15 albums,” showcases Stein’s consummate tastefulness. A member of the faculty of the Berklee College of Music in Boston for years, Stein was raised in Kansas City. Much like the Kansas City guitarists Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman, Stein emphasizes insightful swing rather than hollow flash. David “Fathead” Newman is the most prominent of Stein’s collaborators, but Stein’s career isn’t driven by cosigns from all-stars. Lifeline is a master class in egoless excellence.
Rod Fleeman, Plastic Sax’s 2021 Person of the Year, leads a trio every Saturday afternoon at Green Lady Lounge. The guitarist performs with a band led by drummer John Armato in the embedded video.
The formidable reputations of three locally based mainstream jazz guitarists position the distinguished men head-and-shoulders above their peers. Danny Embrey, Rod Fleeman and Will Matthews deserve the respect and acclaim they’ve garnered.
Matt Hopper is among the younger musicians who are actively demonstrating the future of jazz guitar in Kansas City is in good hands. Quietly released at the end of 2021, Live at Green Lady Lounge captures the sound of the band featuring Hopper and organist Ken Lovern, percussionist Pat Conway and drummer Todd Strait.
The recording exemplifies the distinctive sound that’s helped make Green Lady Lounge the most popular jazz venue in Kansas City. The music performed in the room at 1809 Grand Boulevard is invariably cheerful, sweetly harmonious and assertively propulsive.
While Live at Green Lady Lounge is no exception, the 2018 recording is no ordinary guitar-and-organ album. The quiet groove of “Marcelo’s Guitar” contains a slight intimation of psychedelic rock. Hopper’s trippy solo elevates a slinky reading of his “Green Lady Low Down.”
The dual tandems of Hopper and Lovern and Conway and Strait propel the ecstatic sensibility. Yet the guitarist merits the spotlight. Live at Green Lady Lounge indicates Hopper will eventually join the ranks of Embrey, Freeman and Matthews as a member of Kansas City jazz royalty.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
The artistic vitality of Kansas City’s jazz scene isn’t dependent on charismatic celebrities or prominent institutions. Instead, a few dozen diligent journeyman musicians are responsible for the resilience of the music.
Few artists are more representative of these unsung heroes than Rod Fleeman. The guitarist’s work with the famed vocalists Karrin Allyson and Marilyn Maye is his primary calling card, but he’s often found working under less glamorous spotlights.
While Fleeman’s contributions make even the humblest gigs seem sublime, he shines like a luminous star when surrounded by exceptional musicians. His Saturday matinee booking at Green Lady Lounge is among Kansas City’s best-kept secrets.
The unassuming Fleeman possesses a tiny fraction of the fame attained by the Lee’s Summit native Pat Metheny. The former teenage acquaintances took different career paths. Yet every Fleeman appearance contains solos capable of dazzling discerning Metheny enthusiasts. That’s among the many reasons Fleeman is Plastic Sax’s Person of the Year.
Previous recipients of the designation are Charlie Parker (2020), Logan Richardson (2019),Peter Schlamb (2018), John Scott (2017), Eddie Moore (2016), Larry Kopitnik (2015), Deborah Brown (2014), Stan Kessler (2013), Doug and Lori Chandler (2012), Jeff Harshbarger (2011), Mark Lowrey (2010) and Hermon Mehari (2009). Bobby Watson was named the Plastic Sax Person of the Decade in 2009 and again in 2019.