1. art and entertainment
2. shows and events
3. classical concert

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER2014
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KCJ
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Blue Room Hours
Monday & Thursday: 5pm – 11pm
(music starts at 7pm)
Friday: 5pm – 1am (music starts at 8:30pm)
Indigo Hour (music starts at 5:30pm)
Saturday: 7pm – 1am (music starts at 8:30pm)
The
B lu e Room
Thursday 2
Friday 3
Lester “Duck” Warner
Bad Plus, $15, $10 students
Saturday 4
Ida McBeth, $15
Monday 6
Thursday 9
Friday 10
Saturday 11
Monday 13
Thursday 16
Schedule subject to change
Friday 17
Indigo Hour – Gray Matter
Jazz Disciples
Curtis Lundy Quartet featuring
Bobby Watson, $15, $10 students
Doug Talley Quartet with Kathleen Holman
Indigo Hour – BMW
Kansas City’s 18th & Vine Jazz & Blues Festival
see website for full schedule
Jessica Care Moore, 8pm to 10pm
KC Jam hosted by Tivon Pennicott and Dominique
Sanders,10:30pm to 12:30am
Bob Bowman
Happy Birthday Sonie Ruffin & Arzelia Gates!
Charlotte Embrey & Soinge’
Book of Gaia
Indigo Hour – Just A Taste a Jazz
Saturday 18
In Celebration of Pete O’Neal, Harold O’Neal Trio
Monday 20
Thursday 23
Friday 24
Eddie Moore
Ryan Howard Organ Trio
Lee Langston
Saturday 25
Jazz Disciples with Paula Saunders & Jason Goudeau
Indigo Hour – James Fuzzy West
Monday 27 TJ Martley
Thursday 30 Mambo DeLeon & Carte Blanc
Friday 31 Ottawa University Jazz Combo directed
by Todd Wilkinson
Todd Wilkinson Quintet
November 2014
October 2014
$10 Admission Fridays & Saturdays (unless otherwise noted)
Saturday 1
Monday 3
Thursday 6
Friday 7
Saturday 8
Monday 10
Thursday 13
Friday 14
Saturday 15
Rob Scheps/ Roger Wilder Quintet featuring
Baritone Saxman from Steely Dan,
Roger Rosenberg! $15, $10 students
Multiple Grammy Nominee/ Guggenheim and
McArthur Fellow Miguel Zenon Quartet, $15,
$10 students and AJM Members
Lester “Duck” Warner
Lisa Henry
Indigo Hour – Gray Matter
New York Standards Quartet, $15, $10 students
and AJM Members
Jazz Disciples
OJT
BMW
Indigo Hour – Lee Langston
Dan Hearle Quartet
Monday 17
Thursday 20
Friday 21
Matt Hopper
Happy Birthday Horace Washington Quartet
Charles Williams Quartet
Saturday 22
Jazz Disciples with Clint Ashlock
Indigo Hour – Just A Taste A Jazz
Monday
Thursday
Friday
24
27
28
Dave Riser
Happy Thanksgiving! Blue Room is closed.
Happy Birthday Ida McBeth! $15
Saturday
29
James Ward Band
Indigo Hour – Lady D
A percentage of every purchase of Blue Room Pale Ale is donated by North
Coast Brewing to support programming at the American Jazz Museum.
Indigo Hour – Lady D
Indigo Hour In the Blue Room! No Cover Charge!
Blue Room Martinis • Drink Specials: Beer, Wine & Wells • Live Music • Appetizer Buffet
The Blue Room received
tOP Jazz CluB
RECOgNItION
—DownBeat and Ingram’s magazines
EduCatION PROgRams
Jazz Poetry Jams
Jazz storytelling
stories from the Vine
Visit www.americanjazzmuseum.org
for a complete listing of the
Education Programs happening
in October and November.
Join us for one hour and see how we are
keeping Jazz alive on the Vine…
BluE ROOm
Upcoming Tours:
Oct. 2 & 21, and Nov. 6 & 18, 6 pm,
Atrium, American Jazz Museum
RSVP to takefive@kcjazz.org or 816-474-8463 Ext. 238
1600 E. 18th Street • In Kansas City’s Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District • americanjazzmuseum.org
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
GARY BECKER
GARY A BECKER © 2014
We created this issue of Jazz Ambassador
Magazine (JAM) to look back, assess who we
are, review our accomplishments in addition to
the impact on the community, and appreciate
that history. The Ambassadors legacy stretches
back over three decades as a group whose sole
intent back to its creation, and is to this day, to
“promote jazz in Kansas City.”
In the context of those decades of serving
jazz, we did everything we could think of to
assist “the cause”, even when there were only
a handful of clubs in the entire city, and being
strictly a musician was virtually unheard of
except for a few of the best storied jazz players
in history of the art form. Some, like pop stars,
were so well known that they were known by a
single name like “Hootie” or “Bird”. In the early 1980’s,
The 2014 21 Sax Salute to Charlie Parker
GARY A BECKER © 2014
Mayor Dick Berkley had the foresight to create ways in
which art could get into the wider public domain. The
Jazz Ambassadors were created as a stand-alone entity to
fill the void with activism for jazz, and do it with volunteers
as a not for profit, a 501(c)3. The way it was funded was
as the current mayor Sly James web site states:
“Inspired by citizen interest, Kansas City was the first
city in Missouri (and one of the first in the nation) to pass
An old shot of the Parker celebration in Lincoln Cemetery
a resolution supporting public art in 1970. The program
established a set-aside funding stream of one percent of
each city building construction project’s budget for the
creation of original art, which is usually tied to the building itself.”
2
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 •
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2014
VOLUME 28, NO. 5
JAM is published bi-monthly by the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors, a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization dedicated to the development and promotion of Kansas City jazz. All rights
are reserved. Reproduction of any material is prohibited without consent of the publisher.
To contact the KC Jazz Ambassadors, call (913) 967-6767.
For advertising information, call (816) 591-3378 or email advt@kcjazzambassadors.com. Letters should be addressed to: JAM, P.O. Box 36181, Kansas
City, MO 64171-6181. To contact the editor: Email jameditor@kcjazzambassadors.
com “JAM” and “Jazz Lover’s Pub Crawl” are Registered Trademarks of The Kansas City
Jazz Ambassadors, Inc. JAM/Jazz Ambassador Magazine (Online) ISSN: 1533-0745
E D I T O R
Roger Atkinson
President's Corner . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
News & Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
Off the Vine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Folly Jazz News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
P R O O F R E A D E R S
Dee Cerningeiss
C O N T R I B U T I N G
Carolyn Glenn Brewer
Chris Burnett
Carol Comer
Greg Carroll
W R I T E R S
Wayne Goins
Connie Humiston
Hermon Mehari
Charlton Price
Kevin Rabas
Michael Ragan
Michael Shults
Sharon Valleau
A D V E R T I S I N G
Connie ‘Crash’ Humiston (816) 591-3378
T Y P O G R A P H Y
&
G R A P H I C
D E S I G N
Rodric McBride
C O V E R
L A Y O U T
&
P R I N T I N G
Single Source Printing
( P R I N T )
K.C. Jazz Ambassadors
D I S T R I B U T I O N
Roger Rosenberg Coming
14
W E B M A S T E R
For the Record . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
Club Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
On the Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25
President's Corner . . . . . . . . . . .
26
Rod McBride
2 0 1 4
B O A R D
E X E C U T I V E
O F
10
to Kansas City with Rob Schep . .
( E L E C T R O N I C )
w w w.kcjazzambassadors.com
I N T E R N E T
Ambassadors at 33-1/3 . . . . . .
D E S I G N
Keith Kavanaugh, BauWau Design
D I S T R I B U T I O N
Kansas City Jazz
D I R E C T O R S
C O M M I T T E E
P R E S I D E N T Gary Becker
T R E A S U R E R Penny Oathout
P R I VAT E P U B C R AW L S
Jen Enderson | 816-668-0603 | Jenenderson@gmail.com
D I R E C TO R S AT L A R G E
Bev Mann | Bob Clark | Gary Becker | Dr. Tyler Craig
Jen Anderson | Dr. Brian Williams
The Board of Directors gratefully thanks Darrell Hoffman
for his untiring contributions to the KCJA.
©2014 Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors, Inc.
JOIN TODAY! KCJA
Membership Application . . . . . .
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
17
3
NEWS+NOTES
Topeka Jazz Worshop
Concert Series
The Topeka Jazz Worshop has announced its nine
event schedule for 2014-15. All events are held from 3
mgrimes14@cox.net. The TJW Web site is www.topekajazz.org.
“We Always Swing” ® 2014-15
Concert Series
Upcoming events at presented by the “We Always
Swing”® Jazz Series in Columbia:
In the Sundays at Murry’s series, on November 9, 3:30
and 7 p.m., the New New York Standards Quartet will
play. This will be followed by a Jazz in the District concert
on November 19, 7 p.m. called The Art of the Duo: Dedicated to Bradley’s, with Joanne Bracken and Cecil McBee.
Also, on December 7 at 7 p.m., the Chrismakahkwanza
Holiday Extravaganza with Joey D’Francesco Trio & Matt
Wilson Tree-O.
Future concerts include Branford Marsalis, Bobby
Watson, Anat Cohen, Steve Wilson and others. For more
information, see their Web site, www.wealwaysswing.org.
Roger Wilder
to 5 p.m. at the Topeka Ramada Hotel and Convention
Center. This is a subscription series only; no individual
concerts are available. The first three concerts have been
held. Remaining concerts include:
11/16: Chuck Redd and Nikki Parrott, with
Kevin Cerovich and Roger Wilder
12/7: The Roger Wilder Quintet
1/18: PBT Plus Megan Birdsall
and Danny Embrey
2/22: The New Vintage Big Band
3/8: Diego Figueiredo with the Sons of Brasil
4/12: Harry Allen, John Allred
and Rossano Sportiello
For more information including subscription
prices for the remainder of the series, contact Marcene
Grimes, Executive Director, at 785-379-5169 or email at
4
Kauffman Center: KCJO
and Maye and More!
The Kauffman Center is a wonderful place to hear the
Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, and their next concert will
be One O’Clock Jump: The Evolution of the Big Band. It
will take place on October 3 at 8 p.m. in Helzberg Hall.
A day earlier, on October 2 at 7 p.m., will be An
Evening With Marilyn Maye, again in Helzberg Hall, a
rare opportunity to hear her in a world-class concert hall.
On October 19 at 7 p.m., Kauffman Center presents
Art Spiegelman and Phillip Johnston in WORDLESS!
Spiegelman, noted as a historian and theorist of comics
as well as an artist, collaborates with Phillip Johnston,
the critically acclaimed jazz composer who wrote all-new
scores will be performing live with his sextet.
You may also like Burt Bacharach, who will be in
concert in Muriel Kauffman Theater on November 21.
For more information and tickets, you can go the
Kauffman Center Web site, www.kauffmancenter.org.
JUNE + JULY 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
You read correctly.
The August 16 issue of
The Economist has an ar
ar-ticle called “Pat Metheny:
Guitar Hero.” The article
talks about his continued
innovations and his current Unity Group, as well
as his “ceaseless search for
newness in his music.” We
like the concluding quote from Pat: “Someone who knew
me when I was 14 said I was the oldest 14-year-old on the
planet. Now I’m a 14-year-old who is 60.” (Thanks to
Charlton Price for sending this in.)
Kansas City Ragtime Revelry
Presents Dowling and Hodges
Kansas City Ragtime Revelry will present pianists
Richard Dowling and Frederick Hodges in concert together at Schmitt Music located in Rosanna Square at
119th and Metcalf in Overland Park, on Monday, Octo-
PHOTO BY JIMMY KATZ
Pat Metheny Profiled
in The Economist
Old Blue Note recordings playing daily &
Jazz Greats adorning the walls!
NEW spacious location
135th & Metcalf in Corbin Park
NEW Sunday Jazz Brunch 10am - 2pm (no cover)
NEW expanded menu + beer, wine & cocktails
OCTOBER
24 Rob Scheps w/Roger Rosenberg
25 Gerald Spaits Quartet
31 Halloween Costume Party w/Parallax
1
2
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15
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Richard Dowling and Frederick Hodges
ber 20 at 7 p.m. For more information please visit www.
kcragtimerevelry.org or call 913-491-6923.
Richard Dowling appears regularly throughout the
United States in solo recitals, at chamber and jazz/ragtime
festivals, and as guest soloist with orchestras. Mr. Dowling
is also a versatile recording artist with over a dozen CDs
of classical, chamber, ragtime, jazz, and popular music.
His Web site is www.parkerartists.com/Richard-Dowling.
html.
Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike as one of the
foremost ragtime pianists in the world, Frederick Hodges
is highly sought after by orchestras, festivals, conductors,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
21
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NOVEMBER
House Warming Party with People’s
Liberation Big Band
Jazz Brunch w/Mark Lowrey
Sons of Brasil
Clint Ashlock's Jazz Messengers
Tribute
Jazz Brunch w/the Peter Schlamb
Quartet
James Isaac Group
Jeff Harshbarger w/Ellio’ Levin
Millie Edwards
All times 8pm unless otherwise stated,
cover charge $5 for all shows.
WE’VE MOVED!
Opening in October—check
Facebook or our website for details
6601 W. 135th #A21, Overland Park, KS 66223
(behind Von Maur)
913.948.5550
www.takefivecoffeebar.com
NEW Hours: Open 6am Mon. – Fri.; 7am Sat/Sun
Close-10pm Sun.-Thurs.; 11pm Fri.-Sat.
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE •
JUNE + JULY 2 014
5
OFF THE VINE
CHRIS BURNETT
It’s Festival Time! Saturday,
October 11 - Gates
Open at 11 AM
PHOTOGRAPH BY KCJAZZLARK
October 11 brings the 2014 edition of Kansas City’s
18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival. This year’s Official
Festival Poster was designed by David Terrill. This year
Curtis Lundy & Bobby Watson
we feature Lucky Peterson (Blues), Meshell Ndegeocello
(Neo-Soul), Roy Hargrove (Jazz) and Midnight Star
(R&B Party Band). The festival also features a host
of outstanding regional and local talent on a variety of
stages. There will be Youth Performances and Educational
Activities with clinicians Tivon Pennicott (instrumental
music) and Jessica Care Moore (spoken word), making the
Festival an exceptional choice as a Saturday outing for all
ages. There are also VIP accommodations and amenities,
food and merchandise vendors, and more. Free parking
and a trolley will be available to shuttle guests to the
festival grounds again this year.
Here’s the full Entertainment Schedule:
Pre-Jazz & Blues Festival
Lineup (Blue Room)
Sunday, October 5, 6-9 p.m. - Poetic Notes
Monday, October 6, 7-11 p.m. - Jazz Disciples
Thursday, October 9, 7-11 p.m. - Curtis Lundy
Quartet with Bobby Watson ($15)
6
Friday, October 10, 5:50-6:30 p.m. - BMW
Friday, October 10, 8:30 p.m. - 12:30
a.m. - Doug Talley Quartet with
Kathleen Holeman ($10)
Friday, October 10, 7-8 p.m. - Jessica
Care Moore Master Class (in
the Changing Gallery)
Kansas City’s 18th & Vine Jazz
and Blues Festival Lineup
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Blue Room
11-11:30 a.m. - The Young Jazz
Masters Combo *
12-1 p.m. - KC Elder Statesmen of Jazz
1:30-2:30 p.m. - Groove Axis *
3-4 p.m. - Tyrone Clark & True Dig
4:30-5:30 p.m. - Linda Shell & Blues Thang *
6-7 p.m. - Charlotte Embrey & Soigné
8-10- p.m. - Jessica Care Moore
10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. - KC Jam
Session hosted by Dominique
Sanders w/ Tivon Pennicott
Gem Theater
9:30-10:30 a.m. - Tivon Pennicott Clinic
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Tivon Pennicott w/
Missouri State University Jazz Band *
1-2 p.m. - Marcus Hampton & Friends
2:30-3:30 p.m. - Book of Gaia
4-5 p.m. - Grupo Aztlan
5:30-6:30 p.m. - Paula Saunders
7-8 p.m. - OJT
8:30-9:30 p.m.- KC Blues Express
Main Stage
1-11:20 a.m. - Metro Jazz Workshop
Honors Combo *
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Groove 101 *
1-2 p.m. - Hearts of Darkness
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
JAZZ @ the BJC!
“The best sounding club for
Live Music in Kansas City”
— Angela Hagenbach
“BJC is the Jam!”
— Mark Lowrey
“Seriously, The Broadway Jazz Club is
my favorite place in KC to perform”
— Kelley Gant
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Halloween Party — October 31 ‘Skins & Bones & Things with Strings’ – A special holiday performance by
Victor & Penny and the Loose Change Orchestra, with special guest Kyle Reid and the Low Swingin' Chariots. See
www.broadwayjazzclub.com/calendar/ for more information on this and all other shows.
Internationally Renowned Saxophonist Bobby Watson A BJC Signature Series Event
One night only! 2 Shows! — 6pm & 10pm, November 21st, 2014. Go to
www.broadwayjazzclub.com/reservations/specialevents for more information or to purchase tickets.
Late Night Happy Hour Food & Drink Specials! Wed/Thurs.10:30p-12:00a
Fri/Sat 11:30p-1:30a — featuring ‘Late Night Music Experience’
Try our Sunday Brunch! After church or before the Chief's game - 10:30a-3:00p. Live music begins at 11:00a
Jazz Ambassadors Holiday Brunch & Fundraiser
Broadway Jazz Club - December 26th, 2014 — 11:30am until 3:00pm
$35 per person — $50/pp VIP seating — Proceeds benefit the KCJA
It's that time again...The annual holiday brunch for members of the
Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors, prospective members, and their guests.
GA Ticket price includes brunch buffet, soft drinks or coffee, 1 Mimosa or Bloody Mary, 1 raffle ticket, and
live entertainment. VIPs also receive VIP seating and additional drink and raffle tickets. The Young Jazz
Masters, a non-profit group that mentors talented young musicians, will provide the entertainment. On-site
donations to the KCJA and this youth music program are also welcome. GA Tickets will also be available at
the door on the day of the event for $45.00 each. Seating is first come, first served.
Go to www.broadwayjazzclub.com/reservations/specialevents/
for more information or to purchase tickets.
3601 Broadway • Kansas City, MO 64111 • 816-298-6316
For Reservations, Menu, or Performance Calendar:
www.broadwayjazzclub.com
Simply present this ad to your server
when you order 2 entrees and receive a
FREE dessert.
No cash value. Not valid with other offers, expires 11/30/2014
FOLLY JAZZ NEWS
CONNIE 'CRASH' HUMISTON
Fred Hersch Trio
Saturday, October 4 — 8 p.m.
“… a largely unsung innovator of this
borderless, individualistic jazz—a jazz for
the 21st century” — The New York Times
Bob McWilliams, Jazz & Folk Director at Kansas
Public Radio, will interview Fred Hersch at our preconcert Jazz Talk feature at 7 p.m.
More than 70 of his jazz compositions have been recorded by Hersch and by numerous other artists. He has
collaborated with an astonishing range of instrumentalists
and vocalists throughout worlds of jazz (Joe Henderson,
Charlie Haden, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, Kurt Elling and
Bill Frisell, Nancy King and Norma Winstone), classical
and Broadway.
A committed educator, Hersch has taught at the Juilliard School, The New School and Manhattan School of
Music. He is currently on the Jazz Studies faculty of the
New England Conservatory and at Rutgers University. Karrin Allyson Quintet
Friday, December 19 — 8 p.m.
“If there’s a choir in heaven, someday the
exquisite vocalist Karrin Allyson will lead
it. She’s such an otherworldly talent that
the creator probably already has her on
heavy rotation.” — The Houston Press
PHOTO BY VINCENT SOYEZ
Crosby Kemper III, executive director of the KC
Public Library and chairman of the Show-Me Institute,
will interview Karrin Allyson at our pre-concert Jazz Talk
feature at 7 p.m.
As detailed in the August/September JAM, six-time Grammy®
nominee Fred Hersch leads the 20142015 Folly Jazz Series at 8 p.m. on
October 4.
An internationally-recognized,
innovative pianist with more than
three dozen recordings as a leader/
co-leader, he’s also achieved success
as an educator and composer.
8
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
Four-time Grammy® nominee Karrin Allyson brings
the magic of the season to the Folly as she puts us in the
holiday spirit with some old favorites, as well as some new
recordings from her 2013 release Yuletide Hideaway.
And she brings familiar sidemen: Rod Fleeman on
guitar, Chris Caswell on Hammond, Todd Strait on
percussion, Gerald Spaits and Bob Bowman trading sets
on bass—primarily the same sidemen as on Yuletide,
which JAM Editor Roger Atkinson selected amongst his
favorites: “I want to buy a box and give one to everyone
I know.”
The self-produced album, with originals that might
have already become your personal classics, earned a 4-star
review from DownBeat and praise in the New York Times
and USA Today.
With 14 recordings under her belt, Karrin has show
showcased her extraordinary breadth of repertoire—standards
by Gershwin and Porter, French popular music, Brazilian
bossa nova and samba, and the music of John Coltrane,
Duke, Miles, Dizzy and Thelonius Monk, not to mention
blues, chanson and soft rock. The question is not what
she does; rather, what doesn’t she do?
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
2014-2015
FOLLY JAZZ SERIES!
Fred
Hersch
Trio
Saturday
October 4
PHOTO: VINCENT SOYEZ
“the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz
over the last decade or so” — Vanity Fair
Jazz Talk by Bob McWilliams 7:00 p.m.
Karrin
Allyson
Quintet
501(c)3 nonprofit organization
• Board Positions
• Advisory Committee Members
• Media & Social Media Savvy Experts
• JAM Distribution (possible tax deduction!)
Friday
December 19
Earl Klugh Quartet
Friday, January 16
Hot Sardines
Saturday, February 21
Christian Howes &
Southern Exposure
Saturday, March 14
Danilo Perez:
Panama 500
Saturday, April 25
12th & Central • Kansas City, MO
FOR TICKETS 816-474-4444
www.follytheater.org
Contact President Gary Becker
gary4800@gmail.com
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE •
The Richard J. Stern
Foundation for the Arts –
Commerce Bank Trustee
Neighborhood Tourist
Development Fund
City of Kansas City, Missouri
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
9
M
/3 RP
33-1 EO
STER
HIGH Y
LIT
FIDE
It seemed that the organization
was everywhere.
10
When we moved to the Kansas City area in 1997, I was
a reasonably astute jazz fan who was very aware of the
Kansas City jazz history of Moten, Basie, Young, Parker,
McShann et al. I knew Bob Brookmeyer was from KC,
I knew Pat Metheny was from the area and knew of his
trumpet-playing brother. I knew Bobby Watson was from
KC, because Art Blakey told you that when he made introductions. I knew the names Karrin Allyson and Kevin
Mahogany from glowing record reviews in Cadence.
We were coming from Charlotte, which was as close
to being a jazz desert as any major city in the country (and
still is). I was hungry for a jazz scene, any jazz scene.
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 •
My first day in the office, one of my new colleagues
gave me a copy of JAM. I must have smiled as I paged
through, because I knew that we found some kind of a
jazz oasis.
As we jumped into the scene, we became aware of
one organization that seemed to always be involved: the
Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors.
They did the pub crawls. (I note that I was more prepared for my second pub crawl: I took a vacation day the
following day to recover!) They did the Kansas City Jazz
Workshop concerts. They were selling beer at the Blues
and Jazz Festival. They did these fun events like the Battle
of the Saxes. They had not only a Jazz Line but also a Jazz
Brunch Line with complete calendars when you needed
it. And they did JAM.
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
GARY A BECKER © 2014
The Jazz Ambassador Jazz Cruise
GARY A BECKER © 2014
GARY A BECKER © 2014
4
GARY A BECKER © 201
That is Bobby Watson
at the Tuba
Festival
The KC Blues and Jazz
Claude "Fiddler" Williams
with Bob Bowman at City Ligh
ts
The Jazz Ambassadors
at 33-1/3 (Years, That Is!)
by Roger Atkinson
The Beginnings
Kathy Feist moved to Kansas City a bit earlier. She
also knew of the Kansas City jazz tradition, but it was hard
to find it. There weren’t many clubs, and it was hard to
find out what was going on in the places that were around.
This was pre-internet, and prepre-JAM, pre-jazz museum.
“Without Dick Berkley (former Mayor Richard L.
Berkley) there would be no Jazz Ambassadors,” current
Jazz Ambassador Gary Becker told us. “He and the City
Council established the Kansas City Jazz Commission.”
“There were still a lot of musicians who were around
from when jazz had its heyday here,” Kathy told us. “Jay
McShann, Step Buddy Anderson, Claude Williams,
Speedy Huggins, many others. But jazz just was not in
the forefront.”
The Jazz Commission sought to change that. They
needed volunteers to usher in a new era of jazz in Kansas
City. One of the first events was the first Jazz Pub Crawl
in 1981. The event would turn out to be an annual affair
until it faded out a decade ago. The Jazz Ambassadors
were then the volunteer arm of the Jazz Commission, the
team who made the pub crawls happen. Did I say they
were popular? In 1991, it was estimated that 7,000 were
on the crawl, which included 23 clubs!
The pub crawls were a catalyst. Soon the Jazz Ambassadors were doing their own mini crawls for conventions
and parties. Mary Ellen Farney, an active Jazz Ambassador
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE •
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
11
KANSAS CITY JAZZ AMBASSADORS AT 33-1/3
CONTINUED
for 14 years and the President in 1992, led this popular service. “We would start out at the Mutual Musicians Foundation,” says Mary Ellen. “Duck Warner would talk about jazz and play. We had Gates
cater the barbecue dinners, and then we’d take a bus to a couple of clubs. It was a thrill to share
the heritage and local musicians. They were very well received; the only complaint I ever had
was from a vegetarian!”
The Organization Grows
At some point there was concern with where the money from the annual Pub
“My nine-year tenure as
Crawl was going. “It was always the big discussion at our meetings,” Kathy told
us. Ultimately, the Jazz Commission disbanded, and the Jazz Ambassadors
the editor of JAM (1994
took over the crawls in 1996. They made money for the organization. “We
- 2003) was a productive
had money to give away,” Kathy added.
period for both the magazine
It was then that the Jazz Ambassadors started being a broader support
organization.
They were able to provide scholarships to music students
and the Kansas City Jazz
and support other events. And they still provided volunteers for local
Ambassadors. KC was alive with
events. They even sponsored Highway Cleanups, organized by Jazz Ambassador Akers Aitch. A list from 1996 shows the following recipients
festivals, pub crawls and clubs,
of proceeds from the Pub Crawl: the Kansas City Jazz Workshop,
and the Jazz Ambassadors were
Folly Theater, Unity Temple on the Plaza, Gem Theater, Mutual
Musicians Foundation, 18th and Vine Heritage Festival, UMKC
involved in nearly every facet of
School of Jazz Studies, 18th &Vine Authority, and the Musicians
a vibrant scene. Personally, I will
Emergency Assistance Fund. Over the years, MEAF has helped
always be grateful to the KCJA for
many musicians with medical bills, rent and miscellaneous living
expenses, even help with instruments. This started around 1991.
the opportunity to document that
During this time the Jazz Ambassadors also sponsored events,
chapter of Kansas City jazz history in
such as Riverboat Cruises, Battle of the Saxes and similar special
shows like Ladies Sing the Blues, Trumpet Summit, Burnin’ Up
57 issues of JAM. It was because of
the Ivories, Big Band Bash, Organ Grinder Fish Fry, Guitar Showthis outstanding magazine that I was
case. There were frequent presentations by the likes of Step Buddy
able to interview many of my heroes,
Anderson, Kevin Mahogany, former President Todd Wilkinson and
Carol
Comer. Mary Ellen recalls the first Riverboat Cruise: “This
help promote an important art form,
was all Kathy. I think she borrowed money from her dad to get it
and work with the talented JAM
going. We really had no idea what the response would be. What if
only 10 people showed up? Well, I was driving over the bridge and
staff. And maybe best of all, I was
saw the crowd. It was sold out. We did this for five years, and then
able to put Stan Kessler on one of
the boat stopped running and so the event stopped.”
our covers buried up to his chest
in whipped cream. Congrats to
“A Publicity Machine”
And then, there is also JAM. We started in 1986. At the time the
the KC Jazz Ambassadors on
magazine
was called the Kansas City Jazz Ambassador, and was a five by
their anniversary! Here’s to
eight inch, sixteen page monthly publication. Inside was a listing of clubs and
30 more.”
jazz organizations, a listing of upcoming concerts, club profiles, jazz “on the
air,”
and some short articles. They also published a Newsletter.
—Mike Metheny
“The purpose really evolved,” Kathy Feist told us. “The Jazz Ambassadors
was running like a well-oiled machine to put jazz on the forefront. It really did its job.
And I really saw us as a publicity machine.” JAM evolved as a result, from its origins as
a guide to a jazz magazine like we have today. Bill Brownlee and Kathy both had journal-
ism degrees. The magazine was expanded and there was
more emphasis on advertising. Kathy had several stints as
Editor, before and after Dean Hampton, and also after
Mike Metheny’s run of nine years. Mike also had a journalism background. It was Mike who brought me in as a
contributor. JAM still has the “publicity machine” mission
that Bill, Kathy, Dean, Mike and others developed, and
there are still many dedicated Ambassadors who give their
time to make it happen, from articles to distribution.
Kathy ended our conversation by saying, “I guess
we really wanted to relive the heyday. Looking back, the
1980s and 1990s were another heyday.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
3-4:15 p.m. - Lucky Peterson
5-6:30 p.m. - Roy Hargrove
Quintet
7:30-9 p.m. - Meshell
Ndegeocello
10-11:30 p.m. - Midnight Star
* Indicates ensembles containing young
adults See: Festival. AmericanJazzMuseum.org
Jammin’ At The
Gem 2015
programming that includes master
classes and clinics conducted by world
class talent. 2014 is no different as we
bring an amazing young artist educator to Kansas City for this purpose (see
festival schedule).
Tivon Pennicott was born in Marietta, Georgia in December of 1985.
He began studying tenor saxophone
in high school, garnering recognition
early on as an outstanding soloist in the
Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington
competition, as well as the Georgia AllState Jazz Band. In 2004, he relocated
to Miami to study at the Frost School
PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM LUBRANO
OFF THE VINE
Two decades later, the scene remains strong, with
great musicians and clubs where one can hear some of
the finest jazz anywhere any night of the week. There are
thriving organizations including a great Jazz Museum and
renowned jazz education programs. It’s a much different
picture than what Mayor Berkley saw in 1981.
Mission complete? Hardly. There are still needs.
There are musicians who occasionally need assistance,
there are students who need scholarships, and there are
institutions that need funding and volunteers. There are
events that need volunteers, too. The Jazz Ambassadors
will be there.
Lucky Peterson
2015 “Jammin’ at the Gem”
performance series season starts on
January 15 with Brian Culbertson, and is another great
of Music.
line up of talent. After Culbertson, there will be Gerald
While still in college, guitar legend Kenny Burrell
Albright on February 14, The Mosaic Project with Terri
invited Tivon to join his quintet. He would then go on to
Lyne Carrington on March 21, Joe Locke Quartet on April
appear on Burrell’s 2008 live release, Be Yourself. Tivon’s
18, and “Marilyn Maye’s In May” on May 23. Season
continuing association with Burrell has led to numerous
tickets are on sale at the AJM Box Office in person or by
CONTINUED ON PAGE 15
telephone at 816-474-6262.
Each year Kansas
City’s 18th & Vine
Jazz and Blues Festival presents education
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MIDNIGHTSTAR.COM
Festival
Education
- 2014
Artist in
Residence,
Tivon
Pennicott
Midnight Star
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
13
Roger Rosenberg Coming to KC with Rob Scheps
by Roger Atkinson
Saxophonist and flutist Rob Scheps
has developed a devoted following in the
Kansas City area with his twice-a-year
residencies. In recent years, Shunzo Ohno,
Greg Gisbert, Jerry Dodgion, Frank Basile
and Eliot Zigmund have joined Rob on
these tours. This fall, reed master Roger
Rosenberg will be joining Rob.
“This trip is a rare opportunity for
me, and really for most musicians, to be
able to play consecutive nights of jazz over
a couple of weeks, “Roger told us recently.
I really have not done this much since I
played with Chet Baker and Lee Konitz.”
This is also a unique opportunity for
Kansas City jazz fans to be able to hear and
get to know a world-renowned musician as
he plays in several different clubs with Rob and the local
musicians he enjoys playing with like Roger Wilder, Bob
Bowman, Brian Steever, Ron Carlson and others.
Roger plays all the reed instruments (including bassoon), but is best known as a baritone saxophonist. In
addition to Baker and Konitz, he has also played with
Buddy Rich, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, Tito
Puente, Sarah Vaughan, and the New York Philharmonic. He was in the Quincy Jones-led Gil Evans band
in Montreux where Miles Davis performed one of his last
concerts. He was on the posthumous recording of Charles
Mingus’ Epitaph. He has also played in three decades of
Bob Mintzer’s Big Band recordings (there is a new one
coming soon). This is all in addition to being a first-call
NYC session player. My first recollection of Roger was
when he was in vocalist Janet Lawson’s Quintet in the
early 1980s.
Roger is currently completing a three month tour with
Steely Dan, which he has done since 2006. “I had been
on their recordings previously,” says Roger. “Then, when
tenor saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus died, they decided
to add the baritone sax, and that’s when I started to tour
with them.
Touring with Steely Dan is a bit different than with
Buddy Rich and Mongo Santamaria, he told us. “When
I was with Buddy, we toured on a bus. The buses aren’t
like the ones we use now. You’d really have to contort
14
your body to be able to sleep. We paid for
our own hotels, too. Some of the hotels we
stayed in when I was with Mongo were
terrible, even when I was 26. We stay in
very nice places now. The best was the Ritz
Carlton in Japan. The hotel started on the
45th floor. The view was amazing.”
“Rob and I met about twenty years ago,
when we were in a Gil Evans band that was
assembled by his son Miles Evans to perform
at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. Rob
and I roomed together. Our paths have
crossed a few times since. He even hired me
for a New Years Eve gig.”
Roger has two recordings under his own
name, Hang Time from 2000 and the 2009
Baritonality. He’ll be playing soprano sax in
addition to his baritone when he is in KC.
The current schedule for the Rob Scheps/Roger
Rosenberg Quintet tour; with Roger Wilder, Bob Bowman and Brian Steever except as noted:
10/23 Washburn University, Topeka
10/24 Take Five Coffee Bar,
Leawood, 7-10 p.m.
10/26 Clinic at Take Five Coffee Bar, 3 p.m.
10/29 University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, 11:30 a.m.
10/29 Vega, Lincoln, 7 p.m.
10/31 Lucky Brewgrille, Mission, 6-9
p.m. with Ron Carlson Trio
11/1 Blue Room, Kansas City,
8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
11/4 University of Central Missouri,
Warrensburg, time TBA
11/6 Broadway Jazz Club, Kansas City,
7 - 11 p.m. with Angela Hagenbach
11/7 Lucky Brewgrille; Mission, 6-9
p.m. with Ron Carlson Trio
11/8 Murray’s Tables & Tap, South Kansas
City, 9-11 p.m. with Hard at Play
—Roger Atkinson
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
OFF THE VINE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
CABARET
Friday, November 14 and
Saturday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m.
CONCERT
Sunday, November 16 at 2 p.m.
BROWNVILLE CONCERT SERIES
brownvilleconcertseries.com
402/825-3331
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MANAGEMENT
performance opportunities at many of America’s greatest
jazz venues alongside special guests like Stevie Wonder,
Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove.
Tivon moved to New York in 2009 and has since
established himself as a talented young leader. Tivon is a
2-time Grammy winner as well as a 2nd place winner in
the prestigious Thelonius Monk Competition. He enjoys
collaborating with a variety of bandleaders on their own
tours and recording projects, from Grammy winners Gregory Porter and Esperanza Spalding, Roy Hargrove’s RH
Factor and the
Roy Hargrove
Big Band, Nellie McKay and
R&B crooner
Joe Thomas, to
central figures
in t he contemporary jazz
scene like Ari
Hoenig, E .J.
Strickland and
Meshell Ndegeocello
Marko Djordevic.
Tivon’s own endeavors as a leader showcase his tenacity as a player, while also providing a forum for his
audacious compositions. His unique style incorporates
his masterful attention to rhythm, tasteful melodic lines,
and his deep understanding of the importance of the
groove. His maturity as a player extends far beyond his
years, facilitating music that is refreshing, insightful, and
deliciously exciting. Look for his debut album as a leader
in late 2014.
ERIC COMSTOCK &
BARBARA FASANO
AmericanJazzMuseum .org Highlights
Available for Bookings, Clinics,
Music Theory and Guitar Lessons
913.515.0316
ronaldwcarlson@att.net
www.roncarlson.info
Upcoming performance highlights at the Blue Room
include The Bad Plus on October 3 and Miguel Zenon
Quartet on November 3. See our ad for the full lineup.
Take Five Tours are free and are the first Thursday
and third Tuesday of each month from 6-7 p.m. Please
RSVP to takefive@kcjazz.org.
Jazz Storytelling features Lisa Henry, Brother John,
Tyrone Clark and Michael Warren and is at 10 a.m. on
the first Friday of each month.
Take us with you: Visit our website and social media
pages at Facebook, LinkedIN and Twitter. Download our
FREE American Jazz Museum Mobile App for both, iOS
and Android.
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE •
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
15
NEWS + NOTES
CONTINUED
and collaborative musicians. His extensive repertoire includes ragtime, stride
and novelty piano solo pieces. He has appeared on national television, radio,
and in several Hollywood films. He is also frequently heard as a silent film accompanist in both live performances and on DVD. Visit his website at www.
frederickhodges.com.
Join Kansas City, Kansas Public
Library for a Free Concert by the
Kansas City Jazz Orchestra
As part of the second annual Bop in the Dotte, Kansas City, Kansas Public
Library is hosting a free concert by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra on Thursday,
November 20. The concert will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the KCKCC Performing Arts Center. No tickets necessary; seating is first come, first served. The
library invites all jazz lovers to attend this exciting event! For more information,
visit www.kckpl.org or call 913-279-2106.
KCKCC Jazz Band Continues to
Raise Funds for Cuba Trip
With a little less than three months to go before the Kansas City Kansas
Community College Jazz Band hits the road to Cuba, fundraising has stepped
into overdrive.“Travelling to Cuba is a first for many,” said Jim Mair, professor of music and director of instrumental studies at KCKCC. “Many of our
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
Sponsors
 Tommy and Julie Turner
Ruskin - Patron
 Nelson and Mary Ellen Farney
 Edward Morris
 Gary Foster
 Jamie and Alan Myers
 12th Street Jump - Corporate Sponsor
 Mike Gerken and Debra Schmidt
 William Paprota
 Robert Mccollom, Cast Stone
Consultants - Corporate Sponsor
 Dennis Gredell and Lori Wohlschlaeger
 Charlton Price
 Steven and Patty Hargrave
 Jim and Norma Jean Ramel
 Jo Lowry
 J Richard and Hannah Smith
 Beverly and Ed Mann
 Paul and Sara Smith
 Gale Tallis, Folly Theater
- Corporate Sponsor
 Barbara Mathewson
 Merle Stalder
 Charles and Marada McClintock
 Rich Turpin
 Carol Blum and Steven Wilson
 Sid and Carole McKnight
 Gregg and Melinda Wenger
 Jon and Wendy McGraw,
Buttonwood Financial Group
LLC - Corporate Sponsor
16
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 •
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
KCJA volunteer host, and after a few hours head home having had
what we have available every day of the week here—the experience of
jazz with a legacy of nearly a hundred years in Kansas City.
This issue is as much about the future as it is of the past. Yes we’ve
done much, but the future of Kansas City Jazz and so to the “Ambassadors” gets brighter with each passing day. In the coming years there
will of course be our annual “21 Sax Salute” for Charlie Parker; however,
the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors will become a much more visible
entity with more members, events and most importantly- more of our
volunteers working to make KC a better place to see, hear, and play
jazz.
GARY A BECKER © 2014
So the “Ambassadors” were created. We
began to have meetings in the basement of
the Plaza library (eventually, they allowed us
upstairs, mostly attributable to our quickly
growing numbers). In time, we did real
“hands on” promotion our own events.
Some of the names of the shows have contin-
Angela Hagenbach at a Saturday
afternoon jam at the Levee
ued on their own since the events we started
in the mid-’80s such as “Trumpet Summit”
and “Battle of the Saxes.” We went on to
have large booths at festivals like the “Blues
& Jazz Festival” and the “Spirit Festival”
where we explained to potential members
what we were about or sell them a shirt or a
CD from a local musician. When groups of
visitors came to Kansas City who wanted to
see “real” Kansas City jazz we started doing
Jazz Pub Crawls. Over the years, we have
shown people from all over the world what
that “real” Kansas City jazz is by getting
them first onto a bus seat, then into a club
seat. They hop on, go eat some KC BBQ,
then head to a half dozen venues, listen to
world-class (Kansas City) jazz, pick up a few
interesting facts about the scene from our
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
17
NEWS + NOTES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
students have never left the Midwest. Going to Cuba is a
bonafide ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ for most. Plus
it’s a great honor to be invited to the 30th annual Havana
Jazz Festival. We may be the only college band performing
in the festival.”
The KCKCC Jazz Band was invited to perform at the
2014 Havana International Jazz Festival in Havana, Cuba
last fall. The festival is December 17 to 22. In addition
to attending the festival, the jazz band will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the UNESCO World
Heritage Site and the Havana Historical Centre; tour
Cuba’s National Museum of Fine Arts; visit the Institute
Superior de Arte, the country’s top art academy; explore
Finca Vigia, where Ernest Hemingway lived for more than
20 years; enjoy tap dancing and live jazz music at Pena
de Santa Amalia and learn about the Cuban culture. Any
U.S. citizen is allowed to travel to the small country with
the appropriate license.
Individuals interested in helping the KCKCC Jazz
Band raise the approximately $60,000 in travel expenses
can donate through Kansas City Jazz Alliance at www.
kansascityjazz.org. Donations are tax deductible and 100
percent of the donation will go toward helping students
travelling to Cuba.
The trip is also open to those within the Wyandotte
and Kansas City area community. Currently, 25 community members have committed to the trip. Those
who are interested in traveling with the jazz band are
responsible for their own expenses and travel costs. For
more information on the KCKCC Jazz Band’s invitation
to the 2014 Havana International Jazz Festival and on the
group’s fundraising efforts, contact Jim Mair at jmair@
kckcc.edu or call 913-288-7149. Community members
interested in traveling with the band should contact Bill
Yeazel at jyeazel@kckcc.edu.
More information: www.unitytemple.com/culture/allthatjazz.asp
Spirituality & All That Jazz
Owen/Cox Dance Group
Presents A Body of Work
The Spirituality &All That Jazz concerts are held at 7
p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at Unity Temple
on the Plaza, 707 West 47th Street in Kansas City. Tickets
are $7 at the door, and children under 16 are free.
Upcoming concerts:
10/1: Joe Cartwright with Tim Whitmer
and the Consort Jazz Band
11/5: Tim Whitmer, Birthday Piano
Man! Annual birthday celebration
featuring Tim, the Consort
Band and special guests.
18
JCCC Fall Concert Season
The fall season of
the JCCC Jazz Series has returned
with great schedu le .T he s er ie s ,
which showcases
the talents of local
jazz musicians, is
free and open to
the public. Performances will take
place at noon on
Tuesdays. They
will be held in the
Recital Hall of the
Ca rlsen Center
Bob Bowman
unless otherwise
noted. Here’s the lineup:
9/30: Bob Bowman with Laura
Caviani and Todd Strait
10/7: Ron Carlson and Michael Pagán
10/14: Elder Statesmen featuring
Horace Washington
10/21: Joe Cartwright Trio featuring Molly
Hammer (Polsky Theater)
10/28: Todd Wilkinson and Friends
11/4: Chris Burnett Quartet
The series is sponsored by the JCCC Music and
Theatre departments. Seating is available on a first-come,
first-seated basis.
Next up in the eighth season of new music and
dance works by the Owen/Cox Dance Group is the world
premiere of A Body of Work, on October 3, 4, and 5, at
La Esquina, 1000 West 25th Street in Kansas City. The
piece will feature original choreography by Jennifer Owen,
music by Brad Cox featuring soprano Victoria Botero, and
visual design by NEA Fellow Nate Fors. The eveninglength work will be performed by six dancers and two musicians, against a backdrop of video projections triggered
by Fors. The piece centers on creations of the human body.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
FOR THE RECORD
Bob Bowman
Songs for Sandra
Personnel: Bob Bowman, bass; Laura Caviani (tracks 1, 7 and
10) and Roger Wilder (tracks 2 -6, 8 and 9), piano; Todd Strait
(tracks 2 - 4, 6 and 9 ) and Eliot Zigmund (tracks 5 and 8),
drums; Danny Embrey (tracks 2 and 4) and Rod Fleeman (track
7), guitar; Karrin Allyson, vocals (track 7)
Tracks: The Very Thought of You, Another Time, Beautiful Love,
Sandra’s Gait, Lament, Street Cartwheels, What’ll I Do?, While
We’re Young, Be My Love, Sandra in the Foothills
Recorded (except track 10), mixed and mastererd (all tracks) by
Craig Rettmer, C R Sound, Kansas City. Tracks 1 to 9 recorded
March 25, April 15 and 22, 2014. Track 10 recorded in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In his interview with Michael Shults in the last
JAM, Bob Bowman told of a “burst of energy” after
his wife Sandra died. He said that “he didn’t want to be
impressed, he wanted to be
moved.” His creativity can
be heard in the ten tracks in
Songs for Sandra. And this
listener was moved.
Bob is a wonderful musical conversationalist. The duets with pianist Laura Caviani that open and close Songs
for Sandra are the best of examples. “The Very Thought
of You” features one of Bob’s grand intros before Laura
comes in to state the melody. She has a remarkable soft
keyboard touch. I like Bob’s conterpoint to the piano
lines. The rhythm is just implied, always there. Laura
and Bob have a special affinity. On “What’ll I Do?” they
are joined by Rod Fleeman and Karrin Allyson. This is
as moving as music can get. Karrin’s read of the lyric
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE •
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
19
FOR THE RECORD
CONTINUED
brought tears to our eyes. Her wordless scat duet with
Bob an octave or so below is done well, too.
The rapport with Laura, Rod and Karrin is deep, and
it is no less so with the musicians on the other tracks.
Danny Embrey wrote “Another Time,” where Todd
Strait gives a clinic, with his cymbal magic as Danny
plays the theme, then the fire on Roger Wilder’s piano
solo, and some rumbles in addition to his snare and
cymbal with Danny. Danny is also on “Sandra’s Gait,”
with its Poinciana-like rhythm from Todd’s cymbals
and tom-tom. Todd builds tremendous momentum and
energy here, especially on Roger’s climatic solo.
The remaining tracks are by two trios. Bob, Roger
and Todd shine on Roger’s “Street Cartwheels.” Late one
night Sandra did cartwheels on Kansas City’s Broadway,
and this tune features a rising and falling single note run
that sounds like a cartwheel. Bob again has one of his
intros on this, and Todd is not only amazing on Roger’s
solo, he also builds tremendous momentum on his own
solo. Todd introduces “While We’re Young” before Bob
and Roger take the melody. This is a straight-ahead
swinger. Late in the tune, they slow it down a bit, and then
there is a slow acceleration to a frantic pace before they
slowly apply the brakes. This is another tune where my
notes simply say “Todd!” The trio is absolutely together
during the whole affair, totally in synch with the time.
“Beautiful Love” has a neat passage where the time is
suspended a bit. Roger shines throughout on this one.
The rapport between these musicians has been
developed over decades. When Eliot Zigmund was in
town this past spring, he joined Roger and Bob on their
Green Lady Monday night duos. The rapport between
the three was immediate. I thought at the time that it’d
be great if this trio could get to the studio, and they had
the same thought. Eliot is a master with the brushes, and
they are perfect on “Lament.” I love it when Bob plays
the melody, especially on the ballads. Eliot is also on
“While We’re Young.”
This CD was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning
to end. Did I say I was moved? Just to be sure: I was
moved. This is a wonderful tribute to Sandra Bowman.
—Roger Atkinson
Doug Talley Quintet
Chess Players: Music
of Wayne Shorter
Serpentine CD-121305
Personnel: Doug Talley, tenor saxophone and clarinet; Joe Perisi,
trumpet and flugelhorn; Wayne Hawkins, piano and keyboard;
Tim Brewer, acoustic and electric bass; Keith Kavanaugh, drums
and cymbals; Ray DeMarchi, percussion (track 1)
Tracks: Children of the Night, Footprints, Chess Players,
Miles Medley (E.S.P., Nefertiti, Sanctuary, Orbits), Miyako
(saxophone/bass), El Toro, Ana Maria, Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, Infant
Eyes, Black Nile, Rio, Witch Hunt, Miyako (clarinet/bass)
Recorded by Peter Brewer, Easy Brew Studio, December 19-21,
2013. Mixed and mastered by James Albright.
20
The Doug Talley Quartet
is completing its twentieth
year together, and this is their
fifth recording. Like the previous DTQ recordings there is
a theme, this time around the
music of Wayne Shorter. Unlike the previous records, the
Q is for Quintet, with trumpeter Joe Perisi added to the
original Quartet.
Shorter’s compositions were among the finest and
most memorable contributions to the jazz repertoire from
the 1960s. The tunes included here are from the great Blue
OCTOBER + NOVEMBER 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
Note recordings by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Lee
Morgan and Wayne’s own Blue Note classics, plus his writing for Miles Davis when he was part of that classic quintet,
and finally a tune from his 1974 Native Dancer record.
That a band with a long history of collaboration
communicates so well should not surprise. The evidence
exists on every track here. “Ana Maria” (one of my favorite
tracks) is a good example, with Keith Kavanaugh’s rhythm
supporting Talley’s clarinet at the beginning, and some
fine simultaneous work by pianist Wayne Hawkins, Perisi
and Talley before the ending. You’ll hear it in the trumpet/
tenor blends on many tracks. And the way they navigate
through the Miles Medley, using all of the voices of the
quintet, ending with exciting tenor/trumpet interplay and
killin’ Kavanaugh, is gorgeous.
I enjoyed hearing the growth in Shorter’s writing from
the more straight ahead hard bop from the Blakey years
(“Children of the Night,” “Chess Players” and “El Toro”)
to the increasing openness and advanced harmonies on
his own records and with Miles. This evolution adds to
the variety on this recording, as do the approaches by
the band. “Children of the Night” has what sounds like
a Fender Rhodes and electric bass plus added percussion
by Ray DeMarchi, giving this an updated sound. “Chess
Players” opens with a fine Tim Brewer bass solo, and concludes with several rounds of eight bar solos from Talley
and Perisi. And then there are the duets: piano and tenor
on the gorgeous “Infant Eyes” and two Talley/Brewer
duets on “Miyako,” first with Doug on tenor, the second
on clarinet, both wonderful.
Both horns were fluent, controlled, and enjoyable.
They blended beautifully, and I liked their solos throughout, my favorites being the trumpet on “Black Nile”
and the tenor on “Witch Hunt.” Oh, I have to mention
“Footprints,” another favorite track, with the little “stops”
injected into the theme, the Brewer bass, fabulous Kavanaugh cymbal work, and great solos from Hawkins and
Perisi.
With Wayne Hawkins moving to New York, it will
be a bit tougher for the DTQ to collaborate in the future,
but I think they’ll find a way. Such rapport is a special
thing. The music of Wayne Shorter was a great addition
to their body of work.
—Roger Atkinson
Tracks: Not a Person, A Bear’s Cage, Devolver, Do It Up & Do
It Right, Skyfinger, Uncool Kids, Dozer, The Fall and Rise of...,
Vandelay, Until the End Is Near.
Mixed and mastered at Weights and Measures Soundlab
I had not heard this band
until their appearance at the
Prairie Village Jazz Festival
in September, and they made
quite an impression with their
original horn-and-rhythm
driven jazz-rock-funk sound.
This CD confirms the
impression. The Project H sound should appeal to music
fans who enjoy all of these genres.
I really enjoy Ryan Heinlein’s writing throughout,
and the first few tracks are great examples. Pianist Andrew
Ouellette opens “Not a Person” with a simple piano figure
reminiscent of Brookmeyer’s “Ding Dong Ding” before
moving to a theme reminiscent to a Maria Schneider
anthem. “A Bear’s Cage” has some great horn lines, and
they are used well between several round of solos from
Ouellette and guitarist Jeff Stocks. A simple bass line from
Sanders sets up the driving “Devolver.” “Do It Up & Do
It Right” is solid funk, like when the Crusaders really
nailed a groove, but the Project H horns make it sound
CDs WEB
Package Design
Replication
Duplication
Postcards
Posters
Printing
Website Design
Hosting
PayPal
CDbaby
YouTube
iTunes
The Project H
We Live Among the Lines
Personnel: Clint Ashlock, trumpet; Ryan Heinlein, trombone; Brett
Jackson, tenor saxophone and bass clarinet; Matt Leifer, drums;
Andrew Ouellette, keyboards; Dominique Sanders, bass; Jeff
Stocks, guitars.
Keith Kavanaugh
816.506.3397 • 888.8BAUWAU
keith@bauwau.com • www.bauwau.com
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
21
JAZZ
+ BLUES
+ SWING
= KANSAS CITY!
Since the 1920s and home to Bennie Moten, Count Basie, Jay McShann,
Big Joe Turner, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Mary Lou Williams,
Pat Metheny, Bobby Watson, Karrin Allyson, Kevin Mahogany . . .
KANSAS CITY JAZZ AMBASSADORS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Preserves and promotes KC’s heritage and jazz education
Supports KC’s musicians, organizations, and venues
Membership & Info:
Provides Musicians Emergency Assistance Fund
www.kcjazzambassadors.com
Publishes JAM magazine
Maintains an online calendar of advertiser events, Facebook, Twitter
Offers customized “Private Jazz Crawls” or “An Evening of Jazz”
•
•
•
•
Groups of 30 or more, starting at $65/person
Coach Transportation
Live jazz in historic settings + tantalizing KC BBQ
Informative, fun hosts with a stash of stories to tell
GET OUT AND CRAWL WITH US!!
Reservations:
Contact Jen Enderson
816-668-0603
Jenenderson@gmail.com
JAZZ AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE
Advertising:
• In its 28th year, Jam is THE go-to source for regional
Connie “Crash” Humiston
entertainment, dining, theater, events, and other fun
(816) 591-3378
happenings indoors and out.
www.kcjazzambassadors.com
• Rates starting at $100—also web banner ads available
• Added exposure to our online readers at no additional charge
• Your events listed on our website—and often on Facebook
• Estimated readership: 40,000 per issue
Closing date for the December/January issue is November 14, 2014.
“Everybody I know reads it . . .” — Karrin Allyson, Recording Artist
“. . . The ad was really effective. We appreciate the quality coverage of the arts that
you bring to Kansas City. JAM has a tremendous national reputation and continues to
be a voice in the jazz community.” — Patrice and Jay Sollenberger
FOR THE RECORD
CONTINUED
more like a big band. Trumpeter Clint Ashlock has a nice
solo here.
The Project H repertoire includes some nice features
for the band, too.“Skyfinger” is a mellower side of The
Project H, with Brett Jackson moving to bass clarinet for
the head, before a melodic Heinlein solo. The Leifer drums
and Stocks’ guitar accents add interest as the band build
behind Ryan. The rhythm changes for a Fender Rhodes
solo from Ouellette. “Uncool Kids” features some fine
writing for the horns, with Jackson’s tenor sax featured.
“Dozer” is a ballad feature for Ashlock, with some great
high-note work as he heats it up in his solo. Stocks is the
logical missing word in “The Fall and Rise of...” and of
course this features his fluent guitar. “Vandelay” has nice
work from Jackson (tenor, again), Ashlock (wah-wah’ed a
bit), and Sanders, with Leifer driving it the whole way. (I
could say this about every tune, as Matt’s drive and time
are key to the success of We Live Among the Lines.)
Heinlein is featured on the burning closer (I love the
little guitar riffs from Stocks on this), and reminds me that
his trombone in the ensembles as well as his writing gives
this band much of it’s great sound.
If you have not heard The Project H, this is a good
place to start. It’s not just the music that is enjoyable,
either. The CD cover has a great photo by Timothy Finn,
and it would make a framable LP cover. You can get it
from their Web site, www.theprojecthkc.com, and at the
same time view their schedule so you can catch them live.
—Roger Atkinson
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Over Time: The Music
of Bob Brookmeyer
Planet Arts 101413
Personnel: Nick Marchione, Tanya Darby, Terell Stafford and
Scott Wendholt, trumpet and flugelhorn; John Mosca and
Luis Bonilla, trombone; Jason Jackson, trombone and bass
trombone; Douglas Purviance, bass trombone; Dick Oatts and
Billy Drewes, alto and soprano saxophone and flute; Rich Perry,
tenor saxophone and flute; Ralph LaLama, tenor saxophone, flute
and clarinet; Gary Smulyan, baritone saxophone; Jim McNeely,
piano; John Riley, drums; David Wong, bass; Frank Basile, bass
clarinet (tracks 3, 5 and 8); David Peel, french horn (tracks 1, 5,
6 and 8); Mike Truesdell, percussion (tracks 1, 5 and 8)
Tracks: The Big Time; Suite for Three: Oatts, Scott, Rich; XYZ;
Skylark; At the Corner of Ralph and Gary; Sad Song
Westport Coffeehouse Theater
Jazz Underground Weekly
schedule: WestportCoffeeHouse.com
Every Thursday @ 8pm
Upcoming:
10/2
10/9
10/16
10/23
10/30
11/6
11/13
11/20
alcohol available in theater
Ryan Heinlen Project H
Featuring Kelly Gant
Rich Wheeler Quartet
Brian Roessler Group
KU Jazz Combo 1
Matt Otto Trio
Ryan Heinlen Project H
Mark Southerland and
Matt Otto
Marcus Lewis Group
4010 Pennsylvania • Kansas City, MO • 816.756.3222
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
23
CLUB SCENE
LOCAL LIVE MUSIC
18TH & VINE
Yj’s Snack Bar
128 W. 18th Street.............. 816-472-5533
NORTH
Mon. — Blue Monday Jam
Thur. - Sat. — Live Jazz
M IDTOWN/WESTPORT
Sat. — Live Jazz
Danny’s Big Easy
1601 E. 18th St.................. 816.421.1200
Broadway Jazz Club
3601 Broadway.................. 816-298-6316
The Blue Room
18th & Vine......................... 816-474-2929
Sun. - Live Jazz
Tues. — El Barrio Band, 7 to 11
Thurs. — Millage Gilbert’s Big Blues Band
Fri. - Sat. — Bands
Live Jazz Wed – Sat; Sunday Jazz Brunch
Kansas City Blues & Jazz Juke House
1700 E. 18th Street............. 816-472-0013
Live Jazz
Thurs. - Open Jam session 7:30-11:30 p.m.
Fri. - Live band 6-10 p.m.
Sat.- Live Band 5-9 p.m.
Mutual Musicians Foundation
1823 Highland.................... 816-471-5212
Fri.-Sat. — Late Night Jazz
D OWNTOWN
Californos
4124 Pennsylvania.............. 816-531-1097
Harlings Upstairs
3941 Main Street................ 816-531-0303
Tues 9-12 New Jazz Order Big Band
Jazz - A Louisiana Kitchen
39th & State Line................. 816-531-5556
Tues. - Sun. — Live Music
Sosa’s 39th Street Diner
3906 Waddell Avenue......... 816-531-7672
Wednesdays Live Jazz 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
American Restaurant
25th & Grand...................... 816-426-1133
Westport Coffeehouse Theater
4010 Pennsylvania............. .816-756-3222
The Brick
1727 McGee...................... 816-421-1634
PL A Z A
Fri. - Music
Live Jazz & Eclectic
The Chesterfield
14th & Main....................... 816-474-4545
Wed. — Western Swing
Fri. — Swing
Sat. — Salsa
Green Lady Lounge
1809 Grand....................... 816-215-2954
Tues.-Sun. — Live Jazz
Hotel Phillips Mezzanine
106 W. 12th St................... 816-221-7000
Fri.-Sat. 5-8
The Kill Devil Club
14th & Main....................... 816-588-1132
Wed.-Sat. — Live Music
Majestic Restaurant
931 Broadway.................... 816-221-1888
Live Jazz Nightly
The Phoenix
302 W. 8th Street..................816-221-jazz
Live Jazz Mon. - Sat., plus 2nd Sun.
The Ship
1217 Union Avenue ............ 816-471-7447
Thursdays Live Jazz 8 p.m.
Accurso’s Restaurant
4980 Main Street................ 816-753-0810
Tues. 6-9 — Tim Whitmer
Café Trio
4558 Main Street................ 816-756-3227
Cascone’s North
3737 North Oak Trfy........... 816-454-7977
Piropos Restaurant/Briarcliff
4141 N. Mulberry St........... 816-741-3600
Mike Ning and Sherry Brummett Fridays from 5
to 7; 7 to 11 Dan Sturdevant and Shay Estes;
Tiffany Miller Saturday 6:30 to 10:30
SOUTH & WEST
B.B’s Lawnside BBQ
1205 E. 85th Street............. 816-822-7427
Tues. - Sun. — Live Blues
Sat. 2-5:30 — Jazz & Blues Jam w/ Mama Ray
Bristol Seafood Grill
5400 W. 119th St............... 913-663-5777
Sun. 5-8 — Live Music
Cascone’s
6863 W.91st. Street............ 913-381-6837
Fri.-Sat. — Jim Mair
EBT Restaurant
I-435 & State Line Road........ 816-942-8870
Live Jazz Thurs-Sat
Garozzo's Restaurant
9950 College Blvd............... 913-491-8300
Sundays Live Jazz 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Gaslight Grill and Back Room
5020 W. 137th Street.......... 913-897-3540
Wed. - Sun. - 6:30 Lynn Zimmer Jazz Band
Tues. 6-9 p.m. — Michael Pagan
Wed. 6-9 p.m. — Mark Lowrey
Thurs. 6:30-9:30 p.m. — Tim Whitmer
Fri. & Sat. 6:30-9:30 p.m. — Alice Jenkins
La Bodega Tapas & Lounge
4311 West 119th St............ 913-428-8272
Capital Grille
4740 Jefferson.................... 816-531-8345
Louie’s Wine Dive
7100 Wornall Rd................. 816-569-5097
Sundays 5-9 p.m. – Dan Doran Trio
InterContinental Oak Bar & Lounge
121 Ward Parkway............. 816-756-1500
Live Jazz Thurs. - Sun. Sets start at 8 p.m.
Plaza III
4749 Pennsylvania.............. 816-753-0000
Sat. 7-11 p.m. Lonnie McFadden
Raphael Hotel, Chaz Restaurant
325 Ward Parkway............ .816-756-3800
Mon. - Sat. — Live Jazz
Sun. — Jazz Brunch 10-1
Thursdays Live Jazz 9 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Sun. 6-8 p.m. Jazz w/Mistura Fina, Flamenco
w/Al Andaluz (alt. weeks)
Live Jazz Fri. – Sat.
Lucky Brewgrille
5401 Johnson Drive............. 913-403-8571
Fri 6-9 Ron Carlson and friends
The Piano Room
8410 Wornall Rd................. 816-363-8722
Mon. 7-10 — Waldo Jazz Collective
Fri. - Sat. 8-12 — Dave McCubbin
Take Five Coffee + Bar
Corbin Park at 135th &
Metcalf............................... 913-948-5550
Live Jazz Thurs-Sun
Sullivan’s Steakhouse
4501 W. 119th St............... 913-345-0800
Every Night — Live Jazz
24
JUNE + JULY 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
ON THE AIR
KPR- FM 91.5 (1-888-577-5268)
KCUR- FM 89.3 (816 -235-5775)
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday
Friday
“Jazz In The Night” with Bob McWilliams....... 9:00 pm - Midnight
“Friday Night Fish Fry” w/Chuck Haddix....... 8:00 pm - Midnight
Wednesday
Saturday
“Piano Jazz” with Marian McPartland................9:00 - 10:00 pm
“Jazz In The Night” with Bob McWilliams.............9:00 - 1:00 am
“Saturday Night Fish Fry” w/Chuck Haddix.... 8:00 pm - Midnight
Saturday
12th Street Jump...........................................midnight - 1:00 am
“Music from the Hearts of Space”........................7:00 - 8:00 pm
“Night Tides” with Renee Blanche.................. 8:00 pm - Midnight
National Public Radio-University of Kansas
“The Jazz Scene” with David Basse......................1:00 - 4:00 pm
Sunday
“Music From the Hearts of Space”....................10:00 - 11:00 pm
Seven Nights a Week
“Jazz Overnight”
National Public Radio-University of Missouri/Kansas City
Sunday
KJHK- FM 90.7 (785-864- 4747)
Daily
KCFX- FM 101.1 (816 -576 -7739)
Sunday
“The Blues Show” with Lindsay Shannon........................ 8:00 pm
“Jazz In The Morning”........................................6:00 - 9:00 am
KUDL- FM 98.1 (913- 677-8998)
Sunday
KKFI - FM 90.1 (816 -931-5534)
Smooth Sunday Brunch w/Taylor Scott................7:00 - 11:00 pm
Monday-Friday
“Morning Buzz”.................................................6:00 - 8:00 am
Monday
“Beautician Blues” w / Luscious Lynn.......................10am - Noon
“Jazz, Blues & Latin Tracks”
w/ The Jazz Insider............................................1:00 - 3:00 pm
“Mother’s Mix” w/Lady D...................................3:00 - 6:00 pm
Tuesday
“Tuesday Midday Medley” w/ Barry Jackson.....10:00 am - Noon
“Lunch & Brunch” w/The Jazz Disciple.................1:00 - 3:00 pm
“Road Trippin’ Blues” w/ The Voodoo Kittens........3:00 - 6:00 pm
K M BZ BUSINESS CHANNEL 1660 A M
Saturday
Dick Hawk’s Gaslight Jazz,
featuring Lynn Zimmer..............................11:00 pm — Midnight
Sunday
Dick Hawk’s Gaslight Jazz,
featuring Lynn Zimmer.....................................11:00 am - Noon
KCXL 1140 A M/102.9 FM
Wednesday
Saturday
“Afternoon Jazz” w/ Jeff Harshbarger..................1:00 - 3:00 pm
Old G’s Hangout with Groovy Grant....................3:00 - 6:00 pm
Neon Jazz with Joe Dimino.......................................... 8:00 am
Thursday
“My Place” w/Larry J ....................................10:00 am – Noon
“Afternoon Jazz” w/KC......................................1:00 - 3:00 pm
Main Street Mojo w/ Various DJs.........................3:00 - 6:00 pm
“One of the 10 jazz sites worth visiting”
-New York Times
Friday
“Lunch & Brunch” w/The Jazz Geek.....................1:00 - 3:00 pm
“Edged in Blue” w/ Wendy.................................3:00 - 5:00 pm
Saturday
Larry’s Freak Out...............................................5:00 - 6:00 am
Beale Street Blues...............................................6:00 - 8:00 am
“The Blues Kitchen” w/Junebug
& Chuck Pisano...............................................8:00 - 11:00 am
Online
kcjazzambassadors.com
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER + NOVEMBER
25
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
PHOTO BY CHARLES STONEWALL
NEWS + NOTES
Owen Cox dancers
Megan Horton, Shane
Tice, and Latra Wilson
available at owencoxdance.org.
Musical elements of the
piece will be created
from a combination of
pre-recorded sounds
that dancers’ bodies
produce when dancing, and live vocal and
percussive sounds. The
piece acts as a reminder
that while technology
plays a near constant
role in our modern
lives, all work is ultimately dependent on
the beauty and versatility of the human body.
More information on
a ll performances is
UMKC Conservatory Events:
Jazz & BBQ and More!
The UMKC Jazz Friends and the Kansas City Jazz
Ambassadors are sponsoring the 13th Annual Jazz & BBQ
benefit on October 12 at the UMKC Student Union, 5100
Cherry Street. The benefit, for UMKC scholarships and
support, features the UMKC Jazz Studies Program under
the direction of Boby Watson and Dan Thomas. The event
will begin at 6 p.m. with a buffet and silent auction, followed by a concert at 7:30. For more information contact
Nathan Shatto at shatton@umkc.edu or 816-235-6260,
or visit the Jazz Friends Web site umkcjazzfriends.org.
On November 11 at 7:30 at Grant Recital Hall, Jazz
Combos, with students of all degree levels performing
standards and originals. The Hall is at 5227 Holmes
Street. The concert is free. Then on December 2 at 7:30
p.m. the Conservatory Concert Jazz Band and 11 O’Clock
Jazz Band, directed by Bobby Watson and Dan Thomas,
respectively, will play at White Recital Hall in the James C.
Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street. Tickets
are $8, $6 for seniors, and free for students with ID.
Take Five Moving in Fall
Take Five Coffee + Bar, the Kansas City area’s jazz
living room, is moving and expanding this fall. The new
shop in Corbin Park at 135th and Metcalf (behind Von
Maur) features more than twice the seating for live shows,
a house grand piano and a stage spacious enough to fit a
full big band. The first real test of that idea will come at
26
Take Five’s house warming party November 1 featuring
the People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City.
The new Take Five also has a full kitchen, which means an
expanded menu and a Sunday Jazz Brunch, and expanded
offerings of beer, wine and coffee-based cocktails. Expect
the same superb coffee and the same comfortable, casual and
intimate setting for listening to the best live jazz in town.
Annual Holiday Tradition:
Jazz Carol Fest
It’s never too early to think Christmas! The celestial
magic of the holiday season kicks off each year with a
stellar line-up of talent performing their favorite Christmas tunes. Community Christian Church on the Plaza
proudly presents its 19th Annual Jazz Carol Fest on Sunday, December 7 at 4 p.m. in their beautiful Frank Lloyd
Wright-designed building at 4601 Main. Classic holiday
melodies become fresh and new with the Jazz influences
from a diverse line-up of talented artists, hosted by pianist Tim Whitmer. For ticket information please contact
Community Christian Church, 816-561-6531 or www.
community-christian.org .
FOR THE RECORD
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
Recorded June 11 and 12, 2014, at Sear Sound, NYC.
Engineer: Jay Messina. Assistant Engineer: Chris Allen. Mixed
by Gary Chester, John Mosca, Douglas Purviance and Migiwa
Miyajima at Avatar Studios, NYC. Mastered by Alan Silverman
at Arf! Mastering
Soon after Bob Brookmeyer and the Vanguard Jazz
Orchestra premiered “Suite for
Three” in Columbia, Missouri
in February 2009, John Mosca
of the VJO started talking
about the new recording that
they were working on with Bob.
A year or so later, the VJO was playing one of the new
pieces, “At the Corner of Ralph and Gary” on its famous
Monday night Village Vanguard performances. However,
Bob was also working on other projects, and his health
was faltering. When he died in December 2011 these were
the only new compositions that were completed.
Fortunately, the band was committed to the project.
They were able to unearth three Brookmeyer compositions
from the 1979-1981 years when he was reestablishing his
career, returning to the band of which he was a charter
member, then called Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra.
He wrote two fabulous records, but the three composi-
JUNE + JULY 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
FOR THE RECORD
CONTINUED
tions included here - “The Big Time,” “XYZ” and “Sad Song” - had not been
recorded. Brookmeyer’s first contribution to Mel in 1979, the wonderful
reworking of “Skylark,” is also included in this set.
The new pieces show how Bob’s writing evolved over time. There aren’t
formal structures that are repeated anymore. In both cases, he created full
pieces for the band, which interacts with the featured soloists (Dick Oatts
in “Oatts,” Rich Perry in “Rich” and Scott Wendholt in “Scott,” the three
parts in “Suite for Three,” and Ralph LaLama and Gary Smulyan on “At the
Corner of Ralph and Gary”). This demands a bit more from the listener, but
the attention reveals fine solo playing and amazing melodic lines from the
composer.
Brookmeyer was a pioneer of the chromatic scale in jazz; his “ABC Blues”
was one of the original tunes in the Thad Jones – Mel Lewis book. “XYZ” is a
follow up on that chart. Jim McNeely calls “The Big Time” a “wild chromatic
ride,” and it is a great opener to the CD. Dick Oatts has been featured on
“Skylark” since Bob brought it to the band, and it has never sounded better.
The closer “Sad Song” is sad indeed, and my guess is that when the band plays
it at the Vanguard you could hear a pin drop; it’s just that kind of tune, with
Oatts playing a gorgeous flute solo.
I have been anticipating this record from the first time I heard John mention it. Well, the project took five years to be completed. It was worth the wait.
—Roger Atkinson
Frederick Hodges
Richard Dowling
Monday, Oct. 20 – 7:00 p.m.
Schmitt Music
119th and Metcalf, Overland Park
Visit www.kcragtimerevelry.org
or call (913)-491-6923
Tickets are $20 – children w/parents
and students with ID admitted free
MONDAY SPOKEN
WORD POETRY 7pm-12am
WEDNESDAY DJ
THURSDAY OPEN
JAM SESSION 7:30pm-11:30pm
FRIDAY LIVE
BAND 6pm-10pm
SATURDAY LIVE
1700 E 18th St. • Kansas City, Missouri
(816) 472-0013
OLD SCHOOL
BAND 5pm-9pm
WEDNESDAY – FRIDAY LUNCH 11am-3pm
JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE •
JUNE + JULY 2 014
27
FOLLY JAZZ NEWS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
After exploring pop, rock, classical singers and songwriters in Omaha, San Francisco and Minneapolis, Karrin
cut her teeth in jazz for 10 years in Kansas City, signing
with Concord Jazz and cutting her debut album, I Didn’t
Know About You, in 1992, with Kansas City musicians
Paul Smith, Russ Long, Joe Cartwright, Danny Embrey,
Rod Fleeman, Bob Bowman, Gerald Spaits, Todd Strait,
Gary Sivils and Mike Metheny.
Near the end of the 1990s, she moved to NYC, receiving considerable attention in 1999 for From Paris to
Rio, which broke recording tradition by including songs
in French, Portuguese, Brazilian, Italian and English.
She continued to earn acclaim into the 2000s with
such releases as the 2001 double Grammy® award-nominated Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane and In Blue in
2002.
Besides Ballads, Grammy® nominations for Best Jazz
Vocal Album include Footprints (2006), Imagina: Songs of
Brasil (2008) and ‘Round Midnight (2011).
Chris Caswell, Karrin’s co-writing partner and Hammond B-3 player on this Folly Theater date, has performed
with ‘everyone’ including Bonnie Raitt, Paul Williams,
Mos Def and Paul McCartney at the Grammys last year.
She currently spends much time on tour in the United
States and internationally, and mixes in clinics, private
lessons and master classes, often with longtime partner
Bill McGlaughlin.
What unites this wide world of music—brings it
together and makes sense of it all—is Karrin’s warmth
and depth.
What a Christmas blessing for the Folly audience,
wrapped in a pixie package, as Karrin brings that warmth
to Kansas City, celebrating being home for the holidays
with her Quintet’s Yuletide Hideaway. But as we know,
Karrin never fails to light up the town when she’s home,
no matter the season.
Cyprus Avenue & Series
Subscriptions
Cyprus Avenue Live! presents Richard
Thompson at the Folly on October 22 and
Rosanne Cash on November 14, both at
8 p.m. Tickets are $30, $45 and $60.
Tickets for all Folly Jazz Series concerts are $35, $27
and $18 (group discounts for 10 or more). Discounted Jazz
Series subscriptions are available, and KCJA members are
eligible for additional discounts: (816) 474-4444 or www.
follytheater.org.
Compiled by Connie “Crash” Humiston, Crash in
Communications, conniecrash@kc.rr.com
28
JUNE + JULY 2 014 • JAZZ AMBAS SADOR MAGAZINE
Dick Hawk’s
GASLIGHT GRILL
& BACK ROOM
Enjoy scintillating New Orleans jazz and mellow traditional
favorites by Lynn Zimmer and the Jazz Band featuring some of
K.C.’s finest jazz musicians Wednesday through Sunday every week.
Private Event
Facilities
for 10 – 200
Sunday
Brunch
10am – 2pm
Private Rooms Available for Holiday and other Party Events
Lynn Zimmer is joined by the New Red Onion Jazz Babies
for our gala New Year’s Eve in the Back Room.
Expansive Happy Hour Menu
No Cover Charge • K ansas Dry Aged Steaks • S eafood • C hef Specialties • D ance Floor
5020 W. 137th St. ( Just south of 135th on Briar Drive) Leawood, KS 66224
913.897.3540 • Ga slightGrill.com
Visit us on
TickeTs 816-474-6262
americanjazzmuseum.org