Album Review: Seth Andrew Davis and Krista Kopper- Popular Mechanics

Midwestern barbershops during the Vietnam War era introduced me to Popular Mechanics magazine. I didn’t dare do more than glance at the covers of Playboy also found on the countertops of the smoky rooms while awaiting my monthly crew cut.

Then as now, an airing of the first two minutes of the 20-minute opening salvo of Popular Mechanics would send scissors flying and patrons fleeing from establishments with red, white and blue barber shop poles.

The sawing of bassist Krista Kopper and the slicing of guitarist Seth Davis on “So Much Water, So Close to Home” eventually settles into articulate dialogue that could be interpreted as a passionate symposium on theoretical physics. 

“Where I’m Calling From” possesses shades of heavy metal. The noirish title track invokes the grotesquery of the titular Raymond Carver story. The duo cites the author as an inspiration. “Smallest Things” contains moments of hushed beauty. 

The sublime use of space tends to make duet outings like Popular Mechanics the most rewarding albums by members of the EMAS collective. The peripatetic Davis is front-and-center on dozens of recordings, but Popular Mechanics may allow more listeners to recognize Kopper as one of Kansas City' s most exceptional musicians.

The methods applied by Davis and Kopper- scientific or otherwise- produce a kaleidoscopic array of tone colors on the 55-minute recording. A hypothetical Popular Mechanics article about their sonic inventiveness might change the life of an impressionable short-haired kid.

Now’s the Time: Alex Abramovitz

The trad-jazz band led by Alex Abramovitz performs at Thompson Park near downtown Overland Park on Thursday, August 7. Lester Estelle Sr. opens the concert. Details are available here.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Tickets to Samara Joy’s November 22 concert at the Folly Theater went on sale to the general public this week.

Concert Review: Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House

Another year, another exquisite homecoming outing by the New York based Steve Cardenas. There’s little to be said about the guitarist’s appearance at Westport Coffee House on Thursday, July 24, that hasn’t been previously cited on numerous occasions at Plastic Sax. As usual, bassist Forest Stewart and drummer Brian Steever were ideal accompanists. The blend of original material and covers was characteristically impeccable. And Cardenas’ deceptively disruptive approach- flouting convention without causing ripples- never ceases to amaze. Still waters in the form of the astonishing Cardenas continue to run deep.

First set: Tears Inside (Ornette Coleman); Newer Normal Waltz (Forest Stewart); Blue Language (Steve Cardenas); How Deep Is the Ocean? (Irving Berlin); Reflector (Steve Cardenas); Down There (Forest Stewart)

Second set: Wail (Bud Powell); House of Jade (Wayne Shorter); Everything I'm Not (Forest Stewart) with Stan Kessler; New Moon (Steve Cardenas) with Stan Kessler; Ida Lupino (Carla Bley); Ladies In Mercedes (Steve Swallow)

Set list assistance courtesy of P.F.

Now’s the Time: Tom Browne

“Funkin’ for Jamaica” was one of 1980’s most distinctive hits. Baby boomers will thrill to Tom Browne’s revival of the crossover classic at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s annual Heart of America Hot Dog Festival at Penn Valley Park on Saturday, August 9. Silk and Eric Benét co-headline the event.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*From Kansas City Jazz Alive: We're thrilled to welcome you to the 105th birthday party of legendary jazz icon, Charlie Parker, also known as “Bird.” This series of events makes up our month-long  “Spotlight: Charlie Parker.” This year's celebration features captivating jam sessions, soulful tributes, enlightening history tours, engaging lectures, fascinating exhibitions, insightful panel discussions, enriching workshops, and mesmerizing showcase performances.

Album Review: Brittany Davis- Black Thunder

If righteous rage is the order of the day, Brittany Davis’ latest release is the Kansas City album of the year. Black Thunder, largely improvised in a Seattle studio with bassist Evan Flory-Barnes and drummer D’Vonne Lewis, is a document of discontent interspersed with bursts of radiant optimism.

Davis, a vocalist, pianist and bandleader, was raised in Kansas City before she moved to the Pacific Northwest. She’s cast off conventional Midwest niceties. The vitriol of Black Thunder is in the vein of fiery agitators including Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Moor Mother and Angel Bat Dawid.

Decrying institutional racism and societal oppression while confessing interpersonal discord and body image issues with lithe musicality, Davis reflects the tenor of the times with the acuity of an indignant folk singer and the ruthlessness of a battle rapper.

She decries duplicity and laments the inequity of fate on the seething “All You Get” and excoriates the inhumanity of slavery on “Sarah’s Song.” Eight interludes titled “Ancestors” avoid jarring transitions into less furious tracks.

Davis addresses her blindness on the cosmological “Amid the Blackout of the Night” and celebrates life on the Ayers-esque "Sun and Moon". Exquisite pianism, a facet of Davis’ artistry that may easily be overlooked amid the album’s storminess, is among the elements making Black Thunder a polarizing triumph.

Now’s the Time: Alexander Adams

Two Chicago noisemakers- drummer Alexander Adams and guitarist Jeff Goulet- perform at Grand Avenue Temple on Friday, August 1. The like-minded Kansas City musicians Seth Andrew Davis, Shanté Clair and Krista Kopper are also part of the bill.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The misspelling of the headliner’s name on the flyer for the KC Blues and Jazz Festival was corrected in recent days. Elsewhere, recordBar’s new Play Loud Fest in September includes a rare performance by the People’s Liberation Big Band.

Brigadoon

“Almost Like Being in Love,” the standard once interpreted by the Kansas City trailblazer Charlie Parker, originally appeared in Brigadoon. The musical is set in an enchanted realm that’s almost entirely cut off from the rest of the world.

The results of two new surveys- The 73rd Annual Downbeat Critics Poll and the 20th Annual Francis Davis Critics Poll: 2025 Midyear- suggest Kansas City is the jazz equivalent of Brigadoon. 

Just as few locally based artists make an impression on the international landscape, visits from the most recognized musicians are rare. Yet in spite of its solitude, superior jazz is performed nightly in Kansas City.

Only one album by a Kansas City based artist is among the 441 new releases receiving at least a single vote in the Francis Davis endeavor. Carl Allen’s Tippin’ came in at #24 with nine votes. Here’s my ballot.

Aside from Allen, the Branford Marsalis Quartet is the sole act with an album placing in the top 100 albums of the Francis Davis poll that has performed in Kansas City during the past 24 months. Not coincidentally, Allen joined Marsalis’ band at the Folly Theater that night. Marsalis’ Belonging landed at #7 in the poll. 

Six acts associated with Kansas City- three living and one locally based- appear in DownBeat’s primary listings. (The poll’s individual voter ballots aren’t available.) The results of local interest are:

• Hall of Fame: Bob Brookmeyer, 29th place 

• Historical Album of the Year: Charlie Parker- Bird in Kansas City, 13th place

• Large Ensemble of the Year: Count Basie Orchestra, 23rd place

• Alto Saxophonist of the Year: Bobby Watson, 30th place

• Guitarist of the Year: Pat Metheny, 5th place

• Composer of the Year: Pat Metheny, 17th place

• Blues Artist of the Year: Samantha Fish, 13th place

Kansas City is also represented in DownBeat’s secondary Rising Star category:

• Rising Star- Large Ensemble of the Year: People’s Liberation Big Band, 17th place

• Rising Star- Trumpeter of the Year: Hermon Mehari, 18th place

• Rising Star- Alto Saxophonist of the Year: Logan Richardson, 6th place

• Rising Star- Baritone Saxophonist of the Year: BJ Jansen, 19th place

• Rising Star- Organist of the Year: Chris Hazelton, 19th place

• Rising Star- Vibraphonist of the Year: Mike Dillon, 7th place

• Rising Star- Vibraphonist of the Year: Peter Schlamb, 13th place

Jazz lovers in Kansas City eager to engage with the outside world will relish poring over the results of the endlessly fascinating polls. While music discovery is “almost like being in love” for me, many locals prefer familiar sounds in their sequestered Brigadoons.

In much the same way, some of the civic boosters who repeat the old saw about Kansas City being a cradle of jazz neither know nor care about the global state of the music. And given the high quality of improvised music made in isolation locally, perhaps their blissful ignorance is warranted.

Now’s the Time: Steve Cardenas

Steve Cardenas returns to Kansas City for a couple performances next week. The guitarist appears at Westport Coffee House on Thursday, July 24, and at the Blue Room on Friday, July 25. He’ll be joined by bassist Forest Stewart and drummer Brian Steever at both shows. Cardenas duets with Lorenzo Cominoli in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Legends Field is slated to host the KC Blues and Jazz Festival on October 3 and 4. The lineup: Stanley Clarke (misspelled on the official flyer), Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Shemekia Copeland, Bill Frisell (with Greg Tardy, Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston), Roosevelt Collier, Harrell Davenport, Brody Buster, OJT, High Society and Jackie Myers (also misspelled on the flyer). Two-day passes are $71.50-$136.50. Single day passes are $25-$60.

*Chalis O’Neal is the subject of a feature story published by The Kansas City Star.

*The most recent episode of Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program spotlights the new band led by guitarists Matt Hopper and Jeff Shirley.

*A television news outlet reports on an attempt to fill several empty storefronts in the Jazz District.

*From a press release: In a must-see concert to cap the month-long Spotlight: Charlie Parker celebration, renowned Kansas City trumpeter Lonnie McFadden will lead the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra in a vibrant tribute to Parker’s musical genius on Saturday, August 23 at 7 p.m. at… the Folly Theatre… Tickets, starting at $28, are available… here.

Gig Review: Nick Hmeljak, Henry Scamurra, Isaiah Petrie, Jordan Faught and Jaylen Ward at Westport Coffee House

Kansas City’s jazz community is besieged. Prominent long-standing institutions are flailing. Intercine support groups scuffle for public and charitable funding. Most of the core audience has died of old age and has been replaced by a few dozen anomalous enthusiasts.

Yet the single most important component- indeed, the only thing that truly matters- remains strong. Wave after wave of outstanding homegrown jazz musicians have enriched Kansas City bandstands for decades. Five locally based young men upheld that distinguished tradition at Westport Coffee House on Sunday, July 6.

Trumpeter Nick Hmeljak, saxophonist Henry Scamurra, vibraphonist Isaiah Petrie, bassist Jordan Faught and drummer Jaylen Ward played energetic hard bop with vigorous integrity. Hmeljak explained that the evening was dedicated to debuting all-new original compositions by members of the sextet.

The strong material was bolstered by masterful playing. The quintet is fully capable of impressing a global audience at Smalls in New York City. Instead, ten people- all but a couple were fellow jazz musicians- paid $10 to take in the first hour-long set.

Now’s the Time: Chris Hazelton

The multi-faceted organist Chris Hazelton performs at the Blue Room on Friday, July 11. The embedded video has racked up an impressive 30,000 views.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Julie Denesha created an audio feature about the late Erin Keller for KCUR.

*Hermon Mehari chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Startland reports on $19 million of new public funding on projects in and around the Jazz District.

*Guitar Elation was featured on Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program last week.

Album Review: John Stein- Among Friends

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

*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.