Album Review: Pat Metheny- MoonDial

As with 2003’s One Quiet Night and 2011’s What’s It All About, Pat Metheny’s new album features the Lee’s Summit native working unaccompanied on baritone guitar. MoonDial is as rapturously beautiful, unflaggingly elegant and wonderfully restorative as its antecedents. 

Metheny characterizes MoonDial as “a dusk-to-sunrise record, hard-core mellow.”  Yet MoonDial isn’t altogether sedate. “Shōga” possesses the forward momentum of Metheny’s most popular compositions. And Metheny’s interpretations of Beatles songs- in this instance “Here, There and Everywhere”- are invariably arresting.

Devotees of Pat Metheny greet every release as additions to their extended families. Due to the artist’s admirable unpredictability, a bit of trepidation accompanies the arrival of a new album. The curative MoonDial will be hailed as an immediate favorite that’s likely to remain in the permanent rotations of fans.

Now’s the Time: Ernest Melton

The shape-shifting Kansas City saxophonist Ernest Melton performs at the fashionable dance club In the Lowest Ferns on Thursday, August 1, and leads the weekly jam session at the Blue Room on Monday, August 5. Melton tackles Jimi Hendrix in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*New releases by Betty Bryant, Seth Andrew Davis, Rod Fleeman and Pat Metheny are among the 366 albums receiving votes in the 2024 Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll. Plastic Sax’s ballot is here.

Album Review: Kevin Mahogany- Gem Theater Live

While it’s almost certainly legitimate, Gem Theater Live possesses a few peculiarities associated with bootleg recordings. The sketchy album art and complete absence of publicity are among the traits making the July release of an undated recording by the late Kevin Mahogany  seem unauthorized. The music, however, is beyond reproach.

The Kansas City vocalist is joined by an elite band worthy of the late artist’s massive talent. Saxophonist Red Holloway, guitarist Phil Upchurch, pianist Norman Simmons, bassist Tyrone Clark and drummer Grady Tate enhance the blues-steeped set.

The concert probably transpired in the mid-1990s when Mahogany was beginning to be recognized internationally. The excellence of the performance and the emphasis on material not featured on his official releases makes Gem Theater Live an essential addition to Mahogany’s discography. In fact, the album is so intoxicating it should be illegal.

Now's the Time: Trap Jazz

The noteworthy Atlanta band Trap Jazz performs at the Ameri'kana festival on Saturday, July 27. The embedded video is the trailer for a 2023 documentary about the trio.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*ECM’s vinyl reissue of Pat Metheny’s Bright Size Life prompted an appreciative essay at UK Vibe.

Album Review: Narrative Quintet- Trust Fund Tinder Goblins Howling at the Moon

Contrary to what the irreverent title of Narrative Quartet’s second album might suggest, Trust Fund Tinder Goblins Howling at the Moon is a set of seriously sober mainstream jazz. The tenor saxophonists Adam Larson and Chris Madsen trade heroic solos with impeccable support from guitarist Scott Hesse, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer John Kizilarmut. The coalition of Kansas City and Chicago musicians are an exemplary example of the burly swing associated with both cities. Listeners of all persuasions will be inclined to howl with delight.

Now's the Time: Alan Voss

The Kansas City guitarist Alan Voss performs at Greenwood Social Hall on Sunday, July 21. He’ll be joined by saxophonist Rich Wheeler, bassist Ben Tervort and drummer Evan Verploegh.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Nina Cherry wrote a lengthy feature about Eboni Fondren for The Pitch.

*Portions of a Cynthia Van Roden performance were documented by Joe Dimino.

*Aarik Danielsen surveys the 2024-25 season of We Always Swing for the Columbia Daily Tribune.

Album Review: Michael Pagán- Paganova

“Deep in My Soul”, the second track on Michael Pagán’s latest album Paganova, is magnificent. The melody written by the Kansas City pianist, composer and bandleader is worthy of Bill Evans. The compelling playing of Pagán’s bandmates does the sublime composition justice.

Saxophonists David Chael and Michael Herrera, bassist Louie Pagán and drummer Ray DeMarchi enrich five original Pagán pieces and arrangements of works by Clare Fisher, Steve Swallow and Kenny Wheeler.

The dual saxophones of Chael and Herrera are reminiscent of classic dates of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. Yet partly because five of the eight tracks feature an electric bass, Paganova contains more surprises than most mainstream jazz sessions.

Fisher’s “Gaviota” is a funky romp. “Guess Whose Blues” evokes the eccentricities of Charles Mingus. The old-world zest of “Napoli” closes the album. Yet the most valuable aspect of Paganova may be allowing the rest of the world to Chael and Herrera. The saxophonists are precisely the type of unheralded players who make Kansas City’s jazz scene vibrant.

Now's the Time: Jackie Myers

Jackie Myers is one of Kansas City’s most in-demand musicians. Her calendar indicates she’s at Chaz on Thursday, July 11, at the 1909 Club on Friday, July 12, and at Ophelia’s on Saturday, July 13. She’s featured at the Blue Room in the embedded video.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*A band led by Adam Larson headlines the The Prairie Village Jazz Festival on September 7.

*Green Lady Lounge shared videos featuring Rod Fleeman discussing the third installment of his Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge album series and his role in the Kansas City jazz supergroup Wire Town.

*The Kansas City Star published a feature about the queer brass band Sass-A-Brass.

Album Review: Kyle Quass, Kevin Cheli and Seth Andrew Davis- Bloom

I’m sympathetic to the Plastic Sax readers struggling with my frequent endorsements of the output of the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society. To be sure, the music made by members of the collective is often unsettling. While it’s another uncompromising installment in the free jazz tradition associated with past masters such as Bill Dixon, Milford Graves and Derek Bailey, the new release Bloom is a relatively accessible entry point. Kyle Quass’ trumpet and Kevin Cheli’s  percussion provide acoustic contrast to the churning guitar and electronic tremors created by Kansas City’s Seth Andrew Davis. Detractors will insist Bloom is merely ninety minutes of anarchic noise. I’d counter that the rapturous beauty and devastating ugliness documented on the album accurately reflects our times.

Now's the Time: Drew Williams

The invariably interesting Drew Williams has formed a big band. The ensemble makes its second appearance at Westport Coffee House on Thursday, July 11. Here’s a brief sample of the initial foray.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Jazzwise previews Bobby Watson’s appearance at the Glasgow Jazz Festival.

Concert Review: Makaya McCraven at Liberty Hall

Makaya McCraven is one of jazz’s foremost theoreticians. He’s also a celebrated party-starter. An audience of about 150 discovered the seemingly disparate traits aren’t incompatible at Liberty Hall on Wednesday, July 26.

Joined by trumpeter Marquis Hill and bassist Junius Paul, the peripatetic drummer was among the luminaries appearing at Lawrence’s Free State Festival. Fest-goers previously unfamiliar with the musicians were captivated by the 80-minute set while three dozen aficionados who paid $25 specifically to hear McCraven got their money’s worth.

McCraven and Paul constructed the slippery grooves of elite 1970s funk bands while never straying far from the righteous swing of jazz masters. Their solos were less individual statements than focused explorations of celestial rhythms. After triggering spoken word excerpts to introduce tracks including a reimagining of Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’m New Here”, Hill breathed new life into jazz trumpet with processed sounds on beguiling melodies.

Au courant touring artists affiliated with prominent record labels like International Anthem rarely perform in the Kansas City area. The light attendance at Liberty Hall won’t encourage promoters to take similar chances. Yet a discerning few took in what may prove to be the year’s best concert.

Now’s the Time: Julian Vaughn

Julian Vaughn, the prominent smooth jazz bassist from Kansas City, Kansas, performs at Legacy Park Amphitheater in Lee’s Summit on Friday, June 28. Entry to the venue is $25 on the day of the show. Details are here.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Footage of the Lee’s Summit Jazz Festival was shared by Joe Dimino and a television news outlet. 

*From a press release: Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Clint Ashlock today announced the 2024-2025 Signature Series: Experiences, alongside the newly appointed Executive Director Alyssa Bell Jackson, who assumed her position earlier this year.  The season: Unforgettable featuring vocalist Sachal Vasandani, October 11, 2024 at 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall; Bright Size Life featuring guitarist Rod Fleeman, November 16, 2024 at 7 p.m. Folly Theater; A Charlie Brown Christmas, December 10, 2024 at 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall; Always and Forever featuring Bram and Lucy Wijnands, March 1, 2025 at 7 p.m. | Folly Theater; Level Up! April 5, 2025 at 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall; Glamour of Old Hollywood featuring Brenna Whitaker May 31, 2025 at 7 p.m. | Folly Theater

*From a press release: Join us for a free community event with the KU Jazz Ensemble I before their European tour! (7:30 p.m. Monday, July 15 at Lied Center Auditorium.) KU Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dan Gailey, is the flagship ensemble within the Jazz Studies program at the University of Kansas. The program has received 32 DownBeat Student Music Awards, including Jazz Ensemble I’s 2023, 2021, 2019 and 2015 awards in the Graduate Division for Best College Big Band in the United States or Canada, and their Outstanding Performance Awards in the same division in 2024, 2022 and 2017.

*From a press release: ECM releases Pat Metheny's Bright Size Life as part of its Luminessence audiophile vinyl-reissue series… Available August 2, 2024, in Celebration of Metheny's 70th Birthday.

*From a press release: Craft Recordings is pleased to announce Ornithology: The Best of Bird, a brand-new Charlie “Bird” Parker collection that introduces the legendary saxophonist through 11 classic tracks. Spanning 1945–1953, the album compiles material from the influential jazz artist’s most prolific era… Arriving August 23 and available for pre-order today, Ornithology will be available on 1-LP, 1-CD and digital formats, while fans can find the album in two limited-edition pressings, including Canary Yellow vinyl (exclusively via Spotify Fans First) and Ruby (Barnes & Noble).

Album Review: Rod Fleeman- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3

There are two types of people in the Kansas City area: those who recognize Green Lady Lounge as a civic treasure and those who have yet to enjoy one of the region’s most indelible experiences. Rod Fleeman’s longstanding Saturday afternoon residency is the most sublime of the weekly showcases at the popular jazz club.

The guitarist is joined by bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Ray DeMarchi on Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3. Memorable compositions, exquisite group interplay and astonishing sonic clarity make Volume 3 the best release yet in the series.

Fleeman became an extraordinarily accomplished jazz classicist after forgoing a career in jazz fusion. His thorough mastery of jazz guitar from Django Reinhardt through Wes Montgomery is evident throughout Volume 3.

Spaits is given plenty of room to showcase his prodigious talent. The tactful DeMarchi never overwhelms his bandmates. The relaxed ambiance of Saturday afternoons at Green Lady Lounge also contributes to the recording’s worth. Yet the album isn’t merely a local souvenir. The music on Volume 3 would impress audiences in mainstream jazz venues from New York City to Tokyo.

Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3 is available at streaming services and at digital retailers. The official CD release event takes place at Green Lady Lounge from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27.

Now’s the Time: The Lee’s Summit Jazz Orchestra

The Lee’s Summit Jazz Orchestra is one of eight locally based ensembles slated to appear at the inaugural Lee's Summit Jazz Festival on Saturday, June 22.