The Kansas City Jazz Scene's Top Stories and Trends of 2022

1. Full Swing

It’s almost as if nothing happened.  On the surface, Kansas City’s post-pandemic jazz scene now looks just as it did in 2019.

2. Got It Covered

In spite of- or maybe even because of- the $5 cover charge instituted last year, Green Lady Lounge is packed on any given night.  It makes sense: Green Lady Lounge is the only place in Kansas City at which jazz is performed every evening.

3. Frequent Freakouts

Fans of free jazz and experimental music no longer need to leave Kansas City to hear those sounds.  Thanks to the strenuous initiatives of members of the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society, innovative music made by notable touring musicians and local artists is regularly performed in Kansas City.

4. A Man Called Adam 

The dynamic presence of Adam Larson continues to elevate Kansas City.  The saxophonist’s two new albums- with a third on the way- requires skeptical outsiders to reassess the vitality of Kansas City’s scene.

5. For the Record

It’s an extraordinarily productive year when a lovely album featuring Bob Bowman can’t squeeze into a list of the top ten Kansas City jazz albums of 2022, 

6. Don’t Call It a Comeback

While they never went away, the innovative veterans Dwight Frizzell and Arnold Young reemerged as prominent bandleaders with active performance schedules.

7. Fest or Famine

The one-stage, single-day, storm-plagued Prairie Village Jazz Festival notwithstanding, the Kansas City area hasn’t hosted a true jazz festival since a “stellar but ill-fated” event in 2017.

8. Outside Validation

Jazz at Lincoln Center created a fetching tradition-oriented video portrait of Kansas City.

9. Meanwhile, Back at the Museum

Had it done nothing but present Nduduzo Makhathini at the Blue Room in June, the American Jazz Museum would have provided an invaluable cultural contribution to the city in 2022.  Yet its noontime concerts and the resumption of the Jammin’ at the Gem series were similarly encouraging developments.

10. An Awkward Anniversary

Another year passed without an appearance by Pat Metheny.  The hometown hero last played in Kansas City in 2012.  Although he continues to tour extensively, ten years have passed since a Metheny concert transpired in his old stomping grounds.

Last’s year’s installment of this annual series is here.

Now’s the Time: Najee

The return of the American Jazz Museum’s Jammin’ at the Gem concert series is one of the year’s most encouraging developments.  The smooth jazz saxophonist Najee opens the 2022-23 season on Saturday, December 17.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The American Jazz Museum has resurrected the Jammin’ at the Gem concert series.  Four concerts have been announced without much fanfare: Najee, December 17; Eric Roberson, February 11; Artemis, March 18; the SFJazz Collective, April 1.  Tickets to each concert are $65 and $75.  Details are available here.

*Joe Dimino shared footage of a performance by the Charles Williams Trio at the Blue Room and ​​interviewed Eddie Moore.

*Libby Hanssen recommends seasonal music by the Count Basie Orchestra and the Kerry Strayer Orchestra for KCUR.

*KCUR’s Up To Date program showcased TJ & The Tattletales’ revival of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

*Tweet of the Week: KU School of Music- Jazz Vespers is THIS THURSDAY at 7:30 PM @liedcenterks! The concert once again features performances of holiday favorites in a jazz and pop setting. Event is free, but tickets required: (link)

*From a press release: (A) follow-up to the 2012 ARC release Keyboard Christmas, and his fifteenth recording as a leader, Michael Pagán presents a program of holiday themed tracks… Keyboard Christmas II finds Kansas City based Pagán again in the solo piano idiom.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Flatland investigates the demise of the Charlie Parker Memorial Foundation.

*Tweet of the Week: American Jazz Museum- 25 years ago today, the American Jazz Museum opened its doors on September 5, 1997. Originally named the Kansas City Jazz Museum, KCMO Mayor @repcleaver, the museum’s Executive Director Dr. Rowena Stewart, and community members planned a noteworthy three-day celebration.

Now’s the Time: Jackiem Joyner

The contemporary jazz saxophonist Jackiem Joyner headlines the American Jazz Museum’s Jazz in the Yard concert on Saturday, August 27. The show opens with a performance by Shedrick Mitchell featuring Christie Dashiell.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Libby Hanssen created a feature about Kansas City’s women jazz musicians for KCUR.

*Nduduzo Makhathini chatted with Rashida Phillips of the American Jazz Museum.

*Tweet of the Week: Miles- Kansas City took my Jazz club virginity and I am so grateful for it (video)

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Doreen Maronde, a longtime Kansas City jazz advocate, is the subject of a lovely video profile created by Lakeview Village.

*Larry Kopitnik and James McGee considered the history of the Mutual Musicians Foundation with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up to Date program.

*The American Jazz Museum, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and KC Jazz Alive are among the recipients of grants from Kansas City, Missouri’s Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.

*The Kansas City Star amplified the American Jazz Museum’s current talking points.

*I tried and failed.  Again.  Kansas City isn’t represented among the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2022 Winners for Jazz Performance and Recordings.

*Tweet of the Week: Luke X. Martin- Mingus Big Band at the @ajazzmuseumKC's Gem Theater on International Jazz Day. Y'all missed a great show, #KansasCity!

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Performances and discussions featuring the Pittsburgh based Deanna Witkowski, a Mary Lou Williams scholar and jazz pianist, will be part of Creative City KC’s celebration of Jazz Day on April 30.

*Julie Denesha caught up with Lonnie McFadden for KCUR.

*Joe Dimino documented Alyssa Murray’s recent appearance at the Blue Room.

*David Basse’s site hosts Brian Scarborough’s interview with trombonist Steve Davis.

*Tweet of the Week: Kansas City Tweets from 1922- "In the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District, rollicking, riffing, and rambunctious music was the soundtrack of the 20s and 30s, and it lasted all night long." A concert to memorialize that is Saturday, May 14th. I'm going! (link)

*From the American Jazz Museum: After a two-year break during the pandemic, the 18th and Vine Jazz Festival is returning to the Gem Theater and American Jazz Museum in Kansas City’s 18th and Vine Historic Jazz District. The 2022 festival is an annual three-day event for middle school and high school jazz ensembles, scheduled for 8am to 5pm Thursday, April 21st through Saturday, April 23rd. Although it started 20 years ago, this will be the 18th year of the festival after the two-year break due to Covid.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Nedra Dixon and Pamela Baskin-Watson were awarded an Opera America grant to assist in the advancement of their “A God- Sib's Tale: A Folk Opera” project.

*Rashida Phillips of the American Jazz Museum chatted with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up To Date prgram.

*El Intruso’s 14th Annual International Critics Poll was published this week.  My ballot includes votes for the Kansas City musicians Brett Jackson, Hermon Mehari, Pat Metheny, Brian Scarborough and Bobby Watson.

*Tweet of the Week: The Eldridge- POSTPONED! Look for a new date soon. Susan Hancock is roaring back to the Lawrence, KS music scene for the first time in two years! She is delighted to be joined by two top Kansas City jazz musicians, Roger Wilder, pianist, and Joey Panella, bass. #theeldridge #lawrence #music

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Joe Dimino shared a brief tour of The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure exhibit at the American Jazz Museum.

*Steve Paul documented a portion of Hermon Mehari’s homecoming concert.

*Downbeat magazine checked in with Pat Metheny.

*Tweet of the Week: Jesse Dayton- While driving thru Kansas I’m reminded why Kansas City had such an explosive jazz scene. (image)

*From a Kansas University School of Music press release: The 2021 DownBeat Award-winning Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dan Gailey, has been invited to compete at the Jack Rudin Jazz Championship at Lincoln Center in January 2022.  Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) announced its second annual Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, a two-day invitational competition featuring ensembles from ten of the most well-regarded university jazz programs in the country. Students will perform on the Rose Theater stage on January 10-11, 2022.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Chalis O’Neal promoted his new album on Joe Dimino’s YouTube channel.

*Nina Cherry considered the legacy of Margaret “Countess” Johnson for Kansas City magazine.

*Tweet of the Week: Pat Metheny- Thanks fans! (image)

*From a press release: Disney’s regional jazz exhibit, “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure,” will open at Kansas City’s American Jazz Museum on December 10. Visitors are joined by Joe Gardner – the musician, mentor and teacher from Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” – on a tour as they discover the rich and surprising history of jazz… (T)he exhibit will include a unique collection of artifacts curated by the American Jazz Museum, including Samuel “Baby” Lovett’s bongos and a signed photo of Louis Armstrong and his dog. Additionally, there will be maquettes of characters Joe Gardner and Dorothea Williams, and virtual experiences via the Play Disney Parks app… “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure”... opens Friday, December 10 and will run until April 24, 2022.

*From a press release: Unity Temple on the Plaza is presenting a special holiday edition of its long running Concert Series entitled Spirituality and All That Jazz (4 p.m. Sunday, December 19).  This all ages concert will be led by award winning Pianist Tim Whitmer and his Consort Band. Tim's special guests will include; Saxophonist Jim Mair, Pianist Joe Cartwright, Vocalist Kathleen Holeman, and vocalist Millie Edwards.  Tickets are available here.

*From a press release: The NEC Jazz Orchestra presents Soul on Soul – The Music of Mary Lou Williams on Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. in NEC’s Jordan Hall, 290 Huntington Avenue, Boston. Joining the ensemble will be NEC alum and pianist Carmen Staaf ’05, 2009 winner of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Pianist Competition.  The concert will be broadcast internationally on Wednesday, December 22 at 7:30 p.m ET.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Steve Paul shared footage of Logan Richardson’s recent all-star concert at the Blue Room.

*Clarence Smith received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Central Methodist University.

*KCUR’s Luke Martin reported on Darryl Chamberlain’s A-Flat Youth Orchestra initiative.

*Tweet of the Week: American Jazz Museum- After more than a year and a half, the Blue Room jazz club officially brought back its Monday Night Jam Sessions tonight, and it feels so good! Check out other jams & performances coming soon: (link)

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Disney’s touring exhibit “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure” will stop at the American Jazz Museum.

*Deluxe editions of Pat Metheny’s Road to the Sun album will be available next month.

*Tweet of the Week: dumb intellectual (scary)- the “Swing” episode from Ken Burns “Jazz” is a great little kansas city history lesson

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Kevin Frazee, a prominent Kansas City drummer, has reportedly died.  Here’s a representative performance with OJT.

*KCUR offered a musically ambiguous survey of Kansas City’s jazz venues.

*Pat Metheny appeared on Questlove’s podcast.

*A resident of the Jazz District told The Kansas City Star “we’re afraid” in the wake of a deadly shooting last week.  A television station also took note of the crime.

*Tweet of the Week: MCC Kansas City- The public is invited to enjoy a FREE evening of jazz 6-9 p.m. this Friday (9/17) Saxophone  at MCC-Penn Valley. Featuring: * Gospel vocalist Lisa Henry * Trumpeter Chalis O'Neal * Charles D. Williams, pianist for the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (link)

*From a press release: The American Jazz Museum is proud to present Lights, Camera, Vine!, a three-day film series that explores jazz music’s impact on film in America. This series has been created in partnership with local film makers Rodney Thompson and Diallo French. Stretching from Thursday, September 30 to Saturday, October 2nd, features include two iconic jazz films - "Lady Sings the Blues" starring Diana Ross as Billie Holiday, and Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues" - as well as selections from the American Jazz Museum's John H. Baker Film Collection. Screenings will each include a reception with live music, and a Q&A session and discussion with local film experts after the film.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Toriano Porter advocates the efforts of the American Jazz Museum for The Kansas City Star.  KCUR also published a brief feature about the return of the institution’s plastic sax.

*Julie Denesha created an audio feature about Raj Ma Hall for KCUR.

*Tyree Johnson is the subject of a KC Studio profile.

*Carolyn Glenn Brewer discussed her book about Pat Metheny’s formative years on Neon Jazz.

*Tweet of the Week: KCUR's Up To Date- Closing out the show today, the young Kansas City woman who just won the Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Competition: Lucy Wijnands.

Now's the Time: Gary Bartz

A recent tweet posted by the American Jazz Museum indicates Bobby Watson will perform with Gary Bartz and Vincent Herring on the lawn behind the institution on Sunday, August 29. The celebrated saxophonists collaborated on the 2019 album Bird at 100. The embedded video documents Bartz performing with his plugged-in band in 1974.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Jon McGraw promoted the Spotlight 2021: Charlie Parker initiative on Joe Dimino’s YouTube channel.

*The Kansas City Star made a ​​belated acknowledgement of the passing of Everette DeVan.

* The American Jazz Museum marks the return of Charlie Parker’s plastic sax with a parade in the Jazz District on Sunday, August 29.

*Tweet of the Week: Mike Mahoney- The Ship, a Kansas City live music venue and bar, joins the list of places in KC requiring proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test to enter. May be others soon. @kmbc #MoVaccine

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A television station reports on a proposed spending plan that would close traffic on two blocks of 18th Street in the Jazz District.

*Tweet of the Week: Aaron Rhodes- Pick up @RollingStone issue 1352 (June 2021) to see my first national byline. It’s a sponsored content piece from @VisitMO that highlights a few Kansas City venues worth visiting (@Knuckleheadskc, @ajazzmuseumKC, and Lemonade Park).

Motoring

Detroit’s reputation as the most economically challenged major city in the United States was validated during my first post-quarantine trip this month.  The pervasive blight is horrifying.  Even so, Detroit manages to host one of the biggest annual jazz festivals in North America.  The 2021 edition of the four-day Detroit Jazz Fest will present icons including Herbie Hancock and Abdullah Ibrahim in September.

On September 12, the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago is headlined by the innovative jazz-informed artists Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus and Thundercat.  Even closer to home, the Iowa City Jazz Festival hosts the acclaimed up-and-comers Giveton Gelin and Immanuel Wilkins on July 3.  The following weekend, dozens of jazz and jazz-adjacent acts including Lalah Hathaway and Roy Ayers will be featured at the Music at the Intersection festival in St. Louis.

An uninformed observer would think Kansas City- a much-ballyhooed cradle of jazz- is certain to outdo the endeavors of those Midwestern cities in 2021.  Not so fast.  Unless the yet-to-be-announced lineups of the Spotlight Charlie Parker initiative or the Prairie Village Jazz Festival break from their comparatively modest traditions, Kansas City won’t muster anything remotely similar for the foreseeable future.

The two most ambitious jazz-friendly ventures of recent years- the city-financed Open Spaces (2018) and the American Jazz Museum’s Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival (2017)- were artistic triumphs but financial debacles.  The correlation between the two elements forced area promoters and attentive musicians around the world to relearn a difficult lesson about Kansas City.

Apologists excuse the failures with allegations of poor promotion, but the unfortunate reality is the local appetite for touring jazz musicians- especially artists with left-of-center inclinations- is extremely limited.  Empty seats at Open Spaces’ jazz and jazz-related performances outnumbered patrons.  About 75 people bothered to show up for Vijay Iyer’s headlining performance at Open Spaces.  Less than 500 hundred people attended a set by Chick Corea at the Kansas City Jazz & Heritage Festival.

I’m reopening this old wound because I’m increasingly agitated by the necessity of leaving Kansas City to experience performances by all but a handful of the most significant artists in improvised music.  I’ll save the 200 people in the same predicament a step by providing the cost of the cheapest round trip flights to each festival: Detroit, $140; Chicago, $155; St. Louis, $150; Iowa City, $325.  Let me know if you’re interested in splitting the cost of a hotel room or two or three tanks of gasoline.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A Condé Nast Traveler feature suggests Green Lady Lounge is “arguably the best place to catch live jazz in the city.”

*Nate Nall shared a track from his forthcoming album.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Jim Lower and Tim Reid, Jr.

*Tweet of the Week: American Jazz Museum: JOB ALERT The American Jazz Museum is officially hiring the following positions: Grant Writer (Contract); External Affairs/Membership & Donor Relations Associate (Part-Time); Museum Accountant (Part-Time). More information here.