Album Review: Christopher Burnett Quintet- The Standards, Vol. 1

January is a month of new beginnings.  Polite music ill-suited to the turbulent societal and political chaos of four months ago can be properly appreciated with fresh ears.  That’s partly why The Standards, Vol. 1, the new album by the Christopher Burnett Quintet, acts as a restorative balm.

Burnett, one of the most industrious figures on Kansas City’s music scene, treats jazz as refined chamber music in his capacities as a saxophonist, bandleader, educator and record label executive.  His genteel sensibilities are beautifully showcased on The Standards, Vol. 1.

The core band of Burnett, pianist Roger Wilder, bassist Bill McKemy and drummer Clarence Smith perform five standards and one Burnett composition with seasoned reverence.  Even though the quintet and several guest artists maintain a consistently gracious tone, several moments stand out.

An imaginative arrangement breathes new life into “Corcovado.”  Stan Kessler’s shimmering trumpet solo elevates “Dolphin Dance.”  “Freedom Flight,” a sprightly original Burnett composition, features a sterling guitar solo from Charles Gatschet.  Burnett soars throughout.

Burnett’s tactfulness extends the album’s length.  At just 39 minutes, the album leaves the appreciative listener wanting more.  That’s why the Vol. 1 addendum in the album’s title is an early ray of hope in the new year.

Now’s the Time: Michael Pagán

Steady snow transformed Kansas City on New Year’s Day. The locally based pianist Michael Pagán conveys an analogous sense of delight on his interpretation of “Winter Wonderland,” a standout track on his very fine 2012 album Keyboard Christmas.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Gerald Dunn of The American Jazz Museum encourages The Kansas City Star to make amends in the wake of the newspaper’s admission of decades of insufficient jazz coverage.

*I included tracks by Flutienastiness and Bobby Watson in a survey of The 10 Best Songs To Come Out of Kansas City in 2020 on a Christmas Eve broadcast on KCUR’s Up To Date program.  In an adjacent segment titled The 10 Best Holiday Songs by Kansas City Artists, I shared selections by Charlie Parker, Oleta Adams, Ida McBeth, Jay McShann and The Count Basie Orchestra.

*Stan Kessler chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Tweet of the Week: Sharon Hoffman- Do you know how many times @KCStarinterviewed hometown jazz legend Charlie Parker? Zero. @eadler writes of a culture ignored, part of our “Truth in Black and white” series. (link)

A Reopening Register

You don’t miss your water ‘til your well runs dry. A list of jazz-oriented experiences I’m eager to resume in a post-vaccine Kansas City during the second half 2021 follows.

1. Reboot Even as I lament the loss of jazz-friendly venues that didn’t survive the pandemic, I’m intent on investigating the new landscape for live jazz.  Taking in Stephen Martin’s lively jam session in a humble room near the UMKC campus (pictured above) in March was one of the most satisfying experiences I had in the weeks prior to the lockdown.  I expect to find many more examples of the DIY ethos.

2. Double-dipping One of the most advantageous aspects of being a jazz fan in Kansas City is the ease of club-hopping.  Because free parking is usually plentiful and cover charges tend to be low or nonexistent, hitting two or three venues on any given night is a piece of cake.

3. Organism I’m lukewarm on organ jazz.  Yet in recent years I’ve discovered that sitting immediately next to the speaker cabinet of a Hammond B3 organ can provide a thrilling psychedelic experience.  Save my seat.

4. Carousing Because I’m a penny-pincher and a responsible citizen based in the suburbs, I haven’t had an alcoholic beverage in a Kansas City jazz venue in years.  It’s high time for an unhinged, rideshare-enabled blowout.

5. Friends and Foes It’s a good thing my social life doesn't revolve around Kansas City’s jazz community.  I’m not particularly popular.  Yet I miss bumping into pals and detractors in and around jazz venues.

6. Hit the Highway I rarely bother driving to nearby Lawrence, Topeka and Columbia for jazz gigs.  It’s time for that negligence to end.

7. Consumerism I own more albums and CDs than can be counted.  Even so, I still love digging through the racks at record stores.  Holding physical copies of rare albums by the likes of Jerry Hahn never fails to thrill me.

8. The In Crowd I relish attending big concerts by jazz artists with crossover appeal.  Occasional appearances by touring musicians such as Kamasi Washington, Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall and Flying Lotus is always thought-provoking.

9. In My Solitude I put a pause on my occasional strolls through the Jazz District, Lincoln Cemetery and other historically significant sites for fear that a friendly soul might unintentionally infect me.  I pine for my meditations in these musically sacred spaces.

10. Fingers Crossed My list closes with a wish. Desperate to bask in performances by favorite jazz musicians who pass over Kansas City, I took music-based trips to New York City, Knoxville and Chicago in 2019. I long for the Kansas City debut of at least one eminent adventurous improviser in 2020.

Now's the Time: Jay McShann

We’ll take a cup of kindness yet.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The Kansas City Star acknowledges the "short shrift" The Star and The Times gave to Kansas City jazz giants including Charlie Parker during the city’s jazz heyday.

*KCUR’s Gina Kauffman relates the story of the creation of Andrea Lewis’ new Christmas album.

*I shared tracks by Mike Dillon and Flutienastiness on an episode of Eight One Sixty on 90.9 The Bridge.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Chris Burnett and Bill Crain.

*Ça Va, a Kansas City establishment that often hosted live jazz, has closed.

*Tweet of the Week: Mayor Q- While we talk reconciliation here, also note something The Star mentioned as an oversight—not telling the positive stories of the Black experience in Kansas City over a decades. To share and repeat a tale of pain alone is to miss the greatness of our community.

Album Review: Alaturka- In Concert with KU Jazz Ensemble I

Alaturka was one of one of Kansas City’s most auspicious bands during the quartet’s most active period in the first half of the previous decade.  Beau Bledsoe (guitar, oud and primary musicologist), Rich Wheeler (saxophone), Jeff Harshbarger (bass) and Brandon Draper (percussion) combined the classical music of Turkey with American jazz.

Augmentation from a big band seemed like an unnecessary and excessive proposal.  Yet a surprise release reveals that Alaturka’s 2013 collaboration with Dan Gailey’s KU Jazz Ensemble 1 at the Lawrence Arts Center resulted in an entirely tasteful concert.

Each member of Alaturka is in peak form and almost all of the textures the big band adds to selections like “Leyla” on In Concert with KU Jazz Ensemble I are appealing evocations of Gil Evans’ arrangements for Miles Davis’ 1960 album Sketches of Spain. While a bit of momentum is lost on “Dar Hejîrokê/Fig Tree,” the superlative document inspires hope for a resumption of activity in the Alaturka camp.

Now's the Time: Charlie Parker

May your days be merry and bright.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Not

*From a press release: Acclaimed Ailey dancer and Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts’ A Jam Session for Troubling Times was unveiled yesterday, inspired by saxophonist and composer Charlie “Bird” Parker as part of the Bird100 centennial celebration. At a time in our world rife with chaos and uncertainty, Jamar Roberts uses the energy, nuance, and virtuosity of the ‘bebop’ sound as a vehicle to lift our spirits and demonstrate that we are stronger than our circumstances in an upbeat, quirky, and accessible work filmed by Emily Kikta and Peter Walker... Film can be viewed now through December 21.

*Tweet of the Week: PopMatters- Steve Cardenas - Blue Has a Range (@SunnysideRec) is one of the 20 Best Jazz Albums of 2020 Cardenas' latest is witty and fun and playful in the extreme.

Charlie Parker: The Plastic Sax Person of the Year

The weeds sprouting at the base of Robert Graham’s bust of Charlie Parker at 17th Street and Paseo Boulevard used to bother me.  I’ve since come to believe allowing for a bit of benign neglect is a healthy way to honor Parker’s legacy.  Expecting Kansas City’s jazz musicians to methodically emulate Parker’s innovations is unfairly burdensome.  A hundred years after his birth in Kansas City, Kansas, on August 29, 1920, Parker remains an imposing presence.

Although the global pandemic put a damper on celebrations of the centennial, the anniversary wasn’t forgotten.  Parker was the subject of a KCPT documentary and an exhibit at the American Jazz Museum. And at least two sets of Parker’s recordings were reissued on vinyl.  That’s why the icon who died in 1955 at the age of 34 is the obvious choice for Plastic Sax’s Person of the Year. Perhaps it’s time to allow the weeds to grow unattended.

The previous recipients of Plastic Sax's Person of the Year designation are 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.

Now's the Time: Jammin' the Blues

The short 1944 film Jammin’ the Blues is so extraordinarily divine that I’m almost inclined to renounce my affinity for contemporary improvised music. Almost. It doesn’t get much better than the life-affirming session starring the one-time Kansas City based musicians Jo Jones and Lester Young.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Scalawag, an initiative dedicated to “supporting Southern movement, community, & dissent,” published the provocative stories There Goes the Neighborhood: What Really Caused the Decline of 18th & Vine and The Mutual Musicians Foundation is Fighting the Gentrification of Jazz in Kansas City.

*Christian McBride, Bobby Watson and Chuck Haddix participated in a panel discussion inspired by the graphic novel Chasin’ The Bird: Charlie Parker In California.

*The Peter Schlamb Quartet’s December 6 performance at Murry’s in Columbia streams on YouTube.

*The American Jazz Museum’s Believe In: AJM event streams at YouTube.

*Whirlwind Recordings posted a trailer for Logan Richardson’s latest album.

*Hermon Mehari created a music video for “All Alone.”

*Tweet of the Week: Modern Recordings- A perfect Sunday-Morning track: "Road to the Sun Pt. 2" from the forthcoming Pat Metheny-album. (link)

The Top Jazz-Related Stories and Trends of 2020

1. Lockdown Kansas City’s jazz scene wasn't spared the devastating consequences of the global pandemic.  Venues and musicians confronted a double whammy of restrictive government mandates and public disapproval of attempts to continue operating in hazardous conditions.

2. Centennial Year-long celebrations marking the centennial of the 1920 birth of Charlie Parker in Kansas City, Kansas, held the potential to enliven Kansas City’s jazz scene.  Area residents who don’t ordinarily display an interest in jazz might have discovered locally based talent in a media blitz promising more exposure than than the scene had enjoyed in years.  The virus cancelled the party.  

3. Virtual The embrace of livestreaming is the silver lining of the nightmare scenario.  The accessibility of jazz performances is unprecedented.  Hundreds of virtual gigs by Kansas City’s most notable improvisers were available to anyone with an internet connection.

4. Big Bet The opening of Lonnie's Reno Club is a glimmering ray of optimism in an overwhelming gloomy year.  Ascertaining the ability of Kansas City to support a ritzy jazz supper club should prove fascinating.

5. Keepin’ It Real Bobby Watson’s Keepin’ It Real led a strong slate of new recordings.

Now’s the Time: Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes

Marc Myers, the proprietor of the JazzWax blog, recently alerted his readers to a new documentary about the private life of Count Basie. Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes may be rented or purchased at Amazon.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Anne Kniggendorf reports on the passing of Molly Hammer for KCUR.

*Tweet of the Week: MuteAnt- Jazz Shorts by The K.C. Adventure Band A Swinging K.C. Jazz, short attention spanned, big band jazz tunes featuring Arnold Young on percussion and SaneLiv aka J Triks aka Triks Adventure on keys. This is some real deal KC jazz! (link)

*From a press release issued by the American Jazz Museum: This Thursday, December 3rd at 7pm, over 350 guests from Kansas City and cities across the U.S. will tune into Believe In: AJM, a virtual event to celebrate jazz music… This one-hour, interactive at-home experience tells a heartwarming story of music mentorship between local jazz legends Bobby Watson and Lonnie McFadden, and local rising stars Morgan Faw and Charles Fisher… Additional local performers include Charles Williams, the James Ward Band, Kemet Coleman, Lisa Henry, and Eclipse.

Plastic Sax’s Favorite Albums of 2020

The pandemic failed to forestall a strong slate of new albums by Kansas City’s jazz musicians.  A ranking of the year’s top live performances is missing for sadly obvious reasons.

Favorite Albums by Kansas City Artists

1. Bobby Watson- Keepin' It Real (My review.)

2. Molly Hammer- I'm Feeling Mellow

3. Mike Dillon- Rosewood (My review.)

4. Steve Cardenas- Blue Has a Range (My review.)

5. Pat Metheny- From This Place (My review.)

6. Brian Scarborough- Sunflower Song (My review.)

7. Guitar Elation- Double Live at Green Lady Lounge (My review.)

8. Matt Otto- Alliance (My review.)

9. Flutienastiness- This Is Me (My review.)

10. Purna Loka Ensemble- Metaraga

Favorite Albums by Artists From Elsewhere

1. Jyoti- Mama, You Can Bet!

2. Jennifer Curtis and Tyshawn Sorey- Invisible Ritual

3. Ambrose Akinmusire- On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment

4. Bill Frisell- Valentine

5. Kaja Draksler Octet- Out For Stars

6. Jeremy Pelt- The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1

7. Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell- How to Turn the Moon

8. Sara Serpa- Recognition

9. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Hero Trio

10. Brad Mehldau- Suite: April 2020

I conducted the same exercise at Plastic Sax the each of the last ten years. Expanded rankings of my favorite albums of 2020 by Kansas City musicians are published at my nondenominational music site There Stands the Glass.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The Kansas City vocalist Molly Hammer has died.

*Pat Metheny and Logan Richarson were recognized with Grammy nominations yesterday.

*Pat Metheny signed a deal with a new record label.

*Amber Underwood chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Tweet of the Week: Mutual Musicians KC- Big things in the works here at MMF. Stay tuned.

Book Review: Sittin’ In: Jazz Clubs of the 1940s and 1950s by Jeff Gold

William Claxton’s stunning portraits of musicians including Chet Baker and Miles Davis made him my favorite jazz photographer.  No longer.  My new heroes are the anonymous men and women who hawked souvenir photos in jazz clubs in the 1940s and 1950s.  Their previously unappreciated work is documented in Jeff Gold’s revelatory new book Sittin’ In: Jazz Clubs of the 1940s and 1950s.

In his introduction to the lavish volume, Gold notes the images “turn the camera around” from the musicians on stages to the patrons in the clubs.  Intended as “a cheap souvenir of a night out,” Gold rightly suggests the “quick snapshots” form an “accidental history.”  Scholars and fans can finally take a close look at precisely who frequented venues during jazz’s golden era.  Sittin’ In reveals fans of the form were often as charismatic as the musicians.

Typical entries feature black-and-white photos of smiling customers enclosed in paper frames.  The riveting pictures of strikingly beautiful women and men with outsize swagger are supplemented by Gold’s admirable scholarship.  He provides insights into the history and cultural significance of each venue.  He’s particularly interested in examining depictions of integration as well as the blatant racism associated with the Cotton Club.  In addition to providing a sense of the atmosphere and decor at each venue, the photographs allow viewers to see what patrons were wearing and drinking.

While interviews with musicians and historians including Jason Moran and Sonny Rollins provide invaluable insights, the majority of Sittin’ In’s 260 pages are dedicated to geographically-arranged chapters about clubs in 11 cities.  Dozens of New York City venues are examined, but only two rooms in Kansas City are featured.  Text on the frame of a souvenir photo of eight distracted patrons at Gilmore’s Chez Paree bills the room at 1822 Vine as “The Gayest Nite Spot In Greater Kansas City.”  A 1951 advertisement for Tootie’s New Mayfair outside the city limits of Kansas City promotes an appearance by Charley (sic) Parker.

Only the most provincial Kansas City jazz fan would let the underrepresentation of the town prevent them from coveting Sittin’ In.  Besides, Charlie Parker and Count Basie pop up throughout the book.  The luxurious paper stock and handsome layout complement the exceptional contents.  Sittin’ In is an essential addition to the bookshelf of every serious jazz library.  While the volume is weighty enough to be used as a doorstop, it’s destined to serve as the pride of countless coffee tables.

Now's the Time: George E. Lee and His Orchestra

Banjo!  Tuba!  The sound of Kansas City jazz has changed considerably since the band led by George E. Lee recorded "Paseo Strut" in 1929.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Feast magazine offers additional details about the unusual price structure at Lonnie Reno’s Club.

*Tweet of the Week: Mayor Quinton Lucas- Kansas City, we are #SaferAtHome. While these guidelines will provide necessary parameters to limit group gatherings, slowing the spread of #COVID19 will require participation from us all. We ask that you act in the best interest of not just yourself, but our entire community.