John Stein, a guitarist born and raised in Kansas City, made a home recording with vocalist Fay Whittaker and cellist Chris White in 1997. The recently released session is Stein’s twentieth album. The spare instrumentation and relaxed tone make the entirety of Among Friends enjoyable. Yet one track rises above genial pleasantries. Whittaker’s rich voice and Stein’s tasteful guitar beget an inspired version of “Autumn Nocturne.” Those who appreciate the classic duo of Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass will be glad to have encountered it.
Now’s the Time: Brian Haas
Brian Haas, the freewheeling keyboardist who once led Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and often collaborates with Mike Dillon, will appear at Hillsiders on Sunday, July 13. Haas will be joined by Seth Davis and Evan Verploegh.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Bobby Watson is among the commentators extolling Art Blakey in a The New York Times feature.
*Joe Dimino shares footage of the Lee’s Summit Jazz Festival.
*Eboni Fondren is named an “Innovator and Influencer” by In Kansas City magazine.
*A second victim of a June 22 shooting in the Jazz District has died.
Albums Review: Austin Engelhardt, Kwan Leung Ling and James Taylor- Turnsōl Tapes Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2011. I naively believed a new day had dawned on Kansas City’s music scene. I expected the two venues in Moshe Safdie’s striking building to regularly present the world’s most important cutting-edge artists.
The institution might have used its considerable prestige to cultivate a bold new era of music appreciation in the heartland. Laurie Anderson and Philip Glass appeared at the Kauffman Center in 2012. Brad Mehldau and Christian McBride perform there in October. Yet truly adventurous bookings remain scarce.
Turnsol Books, an arts space situated catawampus to the Kauffman Center, is among the many makeshift venues in Kansas City that have filled the gap during the last 15 years. Two experimental improvised music sessions hosted by Turnsol this year have been uploaded to YouTube.
Austin Engelhardt and Kwan Leung Ling converse on Turnsōl Tapes Vol. 1. Ling, a daring suona specialist, yields his unique instrument with humor as Engelhardt wrings dark textures from an electric guitar. Percussionist James Taylor joins the party on Turnsōl Tapes Vol. 2. The three formally trained musicians add punk and avant-garde classical tactics to a vital set.
The Kauffman Center will likely never present the Art Ensemble of Chicago, David Murray, Matthew Shipp or Mats Gustafsson. Recorded in the shadow of the Kauffman Center, the two albums by Engelhardt, Ling and James Taylor are fine examples of the essential art that’s been largely absent from the moneyed institution for 15 years.
Now’s the Time: Adam Levy
Adam Levy will conduct a guitar clinic at Art House 808 in Grandview on Saturday, June 28. The program is slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Details are available here. Levy may be best known for his association with Norah Jones. He interprets Horace Silver’s “Peace” in the embedded video.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Lawrence Journal-World commends Mia Rasmussen’s ten-minute student film "Kansas City Jazz: A Frontier for Black Success".
*A television news program reports on a shooting that killed one man and injured five others in the Jazz District last weekend.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of a performance featuring Stan Kessler and Doug Talley and interviewed John Stein.
*Bobby Watson promoted his appearance at Dazzle in Denver.
The Complete List of Executive Directors and CEOs of The American Jazz Museum
Original image by Plastic Sax.
The decline of news reporting and the fragility of archival records in the digital age can make fact-checking and research difficult. Upon discovering a consolidated listing of every Executive Director and/or CEO in the history of the American Jazz Museum didn’t exist, I decided to create one as a public service. KC Jazz Lark was consulted in the project inspired by the recent resignation of Dr. Dina Bennett, but any errors are my own.
1995-2002 Rowena Stewart
2002-2006 Juanita Moore
2006-2007 Carol Rhodes Dyson (interim)
2007-2015 Greg Carroll
2015-2016 Ralph Reid (interim)
2016-2018 Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner
2019-2020 Ralph Caro (interim)
2020-2023 Rashida Phillips
2023-2025 Dr. Dina Bennett (interim and Executive Director)
Now’s the Time: RSS Trio
RSS Trio is a mainstay at Green Lady Lounge. The organ trio’s next gig at the bustling venue is 10: 30 p.m. Friday, June 20.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*From the American Jazz Museum: Dr. Dina Bennett, Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum, will be stepping down from her role at the end of July. Dr. Bennett has been a visionary leader whose contributions have significantly advanced our mission, from elevating our national presence to deepening our local impact in the 18th & Vine District. We are incredibly grateful for her leadership, and while she will be deeply missed, we are excited for what lies ahead in her next chapter… Dr. Bennett will remain in her position through July 2025 to support a smooth transition. The Board of Directors will soon launch a national search for our next Executive Director, someone who can guide the Museum through its next stage of growth and innovation.
*Marcus Lewis was interviewed by Hampton Stevens.
*Adam Galblum chatted with Joe Dimino.
Album Review: Eddie Moore- What Makes Us
The primary rift in the jazz universe- the treacherous gulf between mainstream convention and more inclusive sounds- has been expanding for decades. Like many Kansas City musicians of his generation, Eddie Moore rejects the false dichotomy. His latest album What Makes Us is further proof that listeners needn’t take sides in the specious conflict. As he’s done for more than a dozen years, Moore traverses the musical bridge built in large part by Robert Glasper. The six tracks on What Makes Us continue to reference contemporary developments while remaining firmly rooted in tradition. Joined by vibraphonist Isaiah Petrie, bassist Ben Tervort and drummer Jaylen Ward, Moore crafts melodic jazz with universal appeal.
Now’s the Time: Tetsuya Nishiyama
Guitarist Tetsuya Nishiyama oversees the Blue Room’s weekly jam session on Monday, June 16.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Alex Abramovitz’s band is featured in the latest episode of Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program.
*A television news broadcast touts the construction of a parking garage in the Jazz District.
Album Review: Chalis O’Neal- The Influence
Chalis O'Neal raps that his music is “hip-hop meets swing with a little bebop” on The Influence. The Kansas City trumpeter’s new album has a bass-heavy mix that might please fans of Lil Baby but would horrify the mainstream jazz audience.
The oppressively leaden sound field smothers O’Neal and his locally based collaborators. Saxophonist Ernest Melton, keyboardist Desmond Mason, bassist Nsikoh Bébé Làlà and drummer Jaylen Ward are far more vibrant in live settings.
The powerhouse band is further hampered by a brutal song selection. Opening with “Misty” and closing with “Cherokee,” The Influence is a dreary compendium of overplayed jazz standards and tired pop hits. The omission of “My Funny Valentine” and “Uptown Funk” is a saving grace.
“The Terminator” is the freshest track. Each man’s aggressive solo is unencumbered by an enervated melody. Yet what sounds corny on a recording can kill in a club. O’Neal and his cohorts are best experienced live.
Now’s the Time: The Back Alley Brass Band
The music component of the 2025 edition of the Boulevardia festival consists entirely of locally based artists. Rap veteran Tech N9ne is the headliner. Jackie Myers, Chalis O’Neal and Back Alley Brass Band are the jazz-oriented acts at the June 14 event. The latter ensemble kicks off its set in the embedded video with a Rebirth Brass Band staple.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*DownBeat magazine considers the Midwest Jazz Collective touring initiative that visited Kansas City in April.
Album Review: All Night Trio- Yeah Sun
All Night Trio may be Kansas City’s best band. The wavy convergence of Matt Villinger, Peter Schlamb and Zach Morrow applies elite jazz chops to funky electro-pop. What could be better? Why, the addition of Hermon Mehari, of course! The trumpeter appears on “Echo Cycle,” the second track on the new album Yeah Sun. The gloriously woozy title track is a worthy follow-up to All Night Trio’s 2022 banger "All Faded". “The Next Gen” is centered on Morrow’s uplifting rap. The title of “Thunder Step” seems to be a nod to the crossover star Thundercat. A thirty-minute party, Yeah Sun is contemporary club music for people who collect Bobby Timmons records on vinyl.
Now’s the Time: Brenna Whitaker
Brenna Whitaker, a vocalist raised in Kansas City and based in Los Angeles, will be the guest of The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater on Saturday, May 31. The theme of the final concert of the big band’s 2024-25 season is “Glamour of Old Hollywood.”
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
Album Review: Hot Club KC- Dream Dancing
Seemingly generated by artificial intelligence, the album art for Dream Dancing, Hot Club KC’s debut album, is buoyant. Yet the attractive image is a misleading representation of the Kansas City band’s variation on gypsy jazz. Asking a bot to generate a confluence of mellow late-’60s psychedelia and a pretty Parisian boulevard may have produced a more appropriate visual match for the music.
Hot Club KC is as indebted to the Grateful Dawg stylings of David Grisman and Jerry Garcia as it is to the gypsy jazz progenitors Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt. Slightly wavy interpretations of familiar melodies such as “Gee Baby Ain’t I Good to You,” “With a Little Help From My Friends” and “Lil Darlin’” swirl around bandleader Adam Galblum’s endearingly frail voice.
Everyone who has been charmed by a Hot Club KC performance already knows they’ll want to spend time with Dream Dancing. And outsiders attuned to gypsy jazz need to hear the original song “Renji.” The album opener is an ingratiating companion to the 1937 classic “Minor Swing.” Grappelli and Reinhardt-inspired bands around the world won’t need artificial intelligence to recognize that “Renji” would be an excellent addition to their repertoires.
Now’s the Time: Jazmin Ghent
Smooth jazz saxophonist Jazmin Ghent is the opening act for crooner Dre Scot at the at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s Jazz & Jackie concert at the Gem Theater on Saturday, May 24.