I opted for the season opener of the Folly Jazz Series over the revived KC Jazz & Blues Festival on Saturday, October 5. Several people have insisted an explanation is in order. My decision was based on equal parts money and art.
The festival would have put me back $89.50 ($69.50 for the least expensive ticket and $20 parking at the baseball stadium hosting the event). I paid $30 for the cheapest ticket to Pete Escovedo’s concert at the Folly Theater. I found a free parking spot on a nearby street.
Familiarity also played a role in my choice. Bill Frisell- the crown jewel of the festival’s lineup- comes through Kansas City regularly. Stanley Clarke, the de facto headliner, played a free concert in Kansas City in 2019.
I don’t care for the music of the festival’s closing act Karl Denson. As for the locally based professional musicians in the festival lineup, I’ve heard every one of them at least once in recent months.
I’ve only seen Escovedo perform as a member of Santana at the Uptown Theater in the 1970s. Escovedo’s octet played low-stakes Latin jazz for an audience of more than 200 on Saturday. The vibes were good, but missing Frisell feels bad.