Now’s the Time: Norman Liggins

A band led by Norman Liggins is featured at the American Jazz Museum’s Blue Room on Friday, October 2. The embedded music video for “I Cannot Think” features scenes filmed at Jazz District landmarks.

KC’s Cup Runneth Over

England’s national football team has taken over a hotel complex that houses my favorite neighborhood café. I’ll try not to hold the inconvenience against the squad during the World Cup this summer. The following guide is designed to inspire athletes and affiliates of Three Lions to break away from their base in Prairie Village for a sampling of Kansas City’s jazz scene. I’ve created four itineraries wheeled around venues unique to Kansas City. Several good rooms aren’t mentioned, and it’s worth noting that catching elite musicians in a lousy setting is preferable to hearing unexceptional artists in an excellent room. Start here if you’re looking for a list of Kansas City’s most accomplished jazz musicians.

Itinerary #1: Mutual Musicians Foundation
The modest appearance of The Mutual Musicians Foundation (1823 Highland Avenue) belies its importance. The site is the most authentic link to Kansas City’s jazz heyday. Hitting the 1:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. weekend jam sessions is a rite of passage. Night owls can pre-game at The Blue Room (1600 E. 18th Street), a music venue operated by The American Jazz Museum.

Itinerary #2: Knuckleheads
Jazz bands rarely perform at Kansas City’s best music venue. The blues, country and roots-rock oriented Knuckleheads (2715 Rochester Avenue; rideshare recommended) should be on the itinerary of jazz fans anyway. The J. Rieger & Co. distillery is a short but perilous walk across the train tracks.

Itinerary #3: Black Dolphin/Green Lady Lounge
Kansas City’s premier jazz club Green Lady Lounge (1809 Grand Boulevard) is temporarily closed due to fire damage. Its similarly swanky sister club Black Dolphin (1813 Grand Boulevard) features live jazz seven nights a week. Ted’s Taproom (1829 McGee Street) is strategically located nearby. The old-school showman Lonnie McFadden is the featured entertainer seven blocks away at Lonnie's Reno Club (1111 Grand Boulevard).

Itinerary #4: The Ship
Located in the Stockyards District, The Ship (1221 Union Avenue; rideshare recommended) offers live jazz on Thursdays. Plenty of cocktail lounges are promoted as throwbacks to the speakeasy era, but the Ship is the real deal. Youthful hipsters congregate at the nearby In the Lowest Ferns (1105 Hickory Street), a space specializing in underground dance music. The outdoor concert venue Lemonade Park is several blocks south of the Ship.

Don’t trust me? Try these alternatives:

*FIFA recommends Green Lady Lounge and the Blue Room.

*Kansas City’s official guide suggests the town is home to “more than 40 jazz and fine-dining venues.”

*A British tabloid namechecks Green Lady Lounge and Prairie Village.

*Scuzzy pop-up ads aside, a soccer-themed guide is worth a look.

Now’s the Time: Deborah Brown

Deborah Brown, the doyenne of Kansas City jazz, returns to the Blue Room on Friday, May 8. The embedded video captures the magnificent vocalist at a Slovenian jazz festival.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

Notices about three of the most significant developments occurring on Kansas City’s jazz scene while Plastic Sax was visiting Japan in recent weeks follow.

*Anita Dixon-Brown, one of the most consequential figures in Kansas City’s cultural community, died January 4. She’s best known for her association with the Mutual Musicians Foundation and for her efforts in securing Kansas City’s status as a UNESCO Creative City.

*Pat Metheny revealed details about his next album. Side-Eye III+ will be released on Metheny’s new Uniquity Music record label on February 27. "In On It" is the album’s first single.

*As in recent years, The Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum is shuttered this January.

The Top Stories and Trends of 2025 in Kansas City Jazz

1. Fucinaro and Scamurra
The Kansas City saxophonists Pete Fucinaro and Henry Scamurra released strong debut albums in 2025. The ongoing youth movement represented by Fucinaro’s Little Window and Scamurra’s Urban Forum is a compelling reason for optimism.

2. Festival Revival
The KC Blues and Jazz Festival brought Stanley Clarke, Karl Denson and Bill Frisell to a baseball stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, on October 4. The event was the area’s first large-scale jazz event featuring touring artists since 2017.

3. Musical Chairs
Dr. Dina Bennett resigned as the Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum. Turnover at the institution is concerning.

4. Detour Ahead
The planned transformation of a portion of 18th Street into a pedestrian walkway made access to Jazz District landmarks including the American Jazz Museum and the Gem Theater difficult for much of the year. (See above photo.)

5. Evergreen
Green Lady Lounge remains the focal point of live jazz in Kansas City. Green Lady Lounge hosts more than three times the combined number of jazz performances at the Blue Room, the Ship and Westport Coffee House, the second, third and fourth most significant presenters of jazz in Kansas City.

6. Nevermore
Corvino is the most prominent of several establishments to either completely close or cease featuring live jazz in 2025.

7. Alt Jazz
Sonic experiments that are largely unwelcome in conventional venues thrive in hidden recesses including house parties, a bookstore, an underground cinema and a repurposed church.

8. Best Year Ever
No Kansas City jazz musician had a bigger year than Jackie Myers. Her relentless performance schedule included tours and festival placements. Myers’ ambitious album What About the Butterfly was reviewed by DownBeat magazine, a distinction among Kansas City artists shared only by Carl Allen in 2025.

9. Disinformation Campaign
Visit KC continues to insist that Kansas City is home to “more than 40 jazz clubs” as it promotes next year’s World Cup matches. The convention bureau’s dissembling is outlandish.

10. Persistence
Plastic Sax published 32 album reviews, two book reviews, nine concert reviews, six editorials and 45 gig previews featuring Kansas City musicians in 2025.

Last year’s recap is here.

The Top Jazz Performances of 2025

The Top Performances of 2025 by Kansas City Musicians
1. Nick Hmeljak, Henry Scamurra, Isaiah Petrie, Jordan Faught and Jaylen Ward at Westport Coffee House
Plastic Sax review.

2. Drew Williams, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at the Stray Cat Film Center
Instagram clip.

3. Bram and Lucy Wijnands with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.

4. Vanessa Thomas, Kara Smith, Michael Pagán and Steve Rigazzi at the Blue Room
Instagram clip.

5. Henry Scamurra, Isaiah Petrie, Spencer Reeve and Jade Harvey at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival
Instagram clip.

6. The Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society’s “3 Expressions of Light and Sound” at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram clip.

7. Matt Villinger, Peter Schlamb, Sebastian Arias and Matt Robertson at the Blue Room
Instagram clip.

8. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
Plastic Sax review.

9. Deborah Brown and George Colligan at Upcycle Piano Craft
Instagram clip.

10. David Chael, Danny Embrey, Gerald Spaits and Brian Steever at Green Lady Lounge
My Instagram clip.

The Top Performances of 2025 by Touring Musicians
1. Christian McBride and Brad Mehldau at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Plastic Sax review.

2. Terence Blanchard at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
There Stands the Glass review.

3. Branford Marsalis Quartet at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.

4. Samara Joy at the Folly Theater
There Stands the Glass review.

5. Devin Gray at the Ship
There Stands the Glass review.

6. Alexander Adams, Jeff Goulet (and Seth Davis) with Kristen Kopper and Shanté Clair at Grand Avenue Temple
Instagram clip.

7. Cory Weeds (with Chris Hazelton) at Westport Coffee House
Plastic Sax review.

8. Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda and Antonio Sánchez at Helzberg Hall
Plastic Sax review.

9. Helen Sung (with Bach Aria Soloists) at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.

10. Pete Escovedo at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.

Last year’s survey is here.

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.

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.

Now’s the Time: Tetsuya Nishiyama

Guitarist Tetsuya Nishiyama oversees the Blue Room’s weekly jam session on Monday, June 16.

Now’s the Time: Mitch Towne

The Omaha based organist Mitch Towne performs at the Blue Room on Friday, May 9. “Steepian Faith,” the selection featured in the embedded video, is the fifth track on Towne’s new album Refuge.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Joe Dimino shared footage of Bob Bowman and Bobby Watson at the Blue Room.

Now's the Time: Bob Bowman

Bob Bowman is back in town. The storied bassist’s ​​bustling schedule in the Kansas City area includes an appearance at the Blue Room on Saturday, April 12.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The American Jazz Museum advised patrons that its live music venue “(t)he Blue Room will be closed from January 1st to January 25th.”

Now’s the Time: Brian Kennedy

The Kansas City producer Brian Kennedy will presumably emphasize the jazz elements of his sound at the Blue Room on Thursday, December 19. Vocalist Angelique Cinelu will also be on hand.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The New York Times’ look back at the 1958 “A Great Day in Harlem” photograph is loaded with Kansas City connections.

*Joe Dimino shared clips of performances at the Blue Room by David Watson and Warren Wolf.

*Dr. Dina Bennett is featured in a video produced by the American Jazz Museum.

Now’s the Time: Warren Wolf

The extraordinarily accomplished Warren Wolf performs at the Blue Room on Friday, December 6. His latest album History of the Vibraphone is among the year’s most noteworthy straight-ahead jazz albums. Wolf interprets Lyle Mays’ “Chorinho” in the embedded video.

Now’s the Time: John Fedchock

The prominent trombonist John Fedchock is barnstorming Kansas City. His appearances include a gig at the Blue Room on Saturday, November 16. Fedchock is touring in support of his new album Justifiably J.J., a tribute to trombone luminary J.J. Johnson.

Now’s the Time: Harold O’Neal

The American Jazz Museum closes August with three performances by pianist Harold O'Neal. The pianist with deep Kansas City roots performs at the Jay McShann Pavilion on Thursday, August 29, with Dan Thomas at the Blue Room on Friday, August 30, and with Logan Richardson at the Blue Room on Saturday, August 31.

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.

Concert Review: The Adam Larson Quartet at the Blue Room

Adam Larson lamented that his children prefer the music of the Epic Sax Guy to that of their father during the interview portion of the Blue Room’s noon jazz series on Thursday, June 6. Assuming a sardonic tone of exasperation, Larson joked “I’m the epic sax guy!” 

In fact, each member of Larson’s quartet displayed heroic artistry at the Blue Room. Pianist Roger Wilder and drummer John Kizilarmut may never have sounded better. The Chicago based Clark Sommers conjured bassist Jimmy Garrison on an excerpt of “A Love Supreme”.

Propulsive renditions of the classics “Conception”, “Punjab” and “Light Blue” were rendered with astounding sophistication. Larson’s kids will eventually recognize what dedicated jazz fans already know: during June 2024, Larson and his colleagues were truly epic jazz guys.