Old school or new school? That’s the decision facing celebrants of International Jazz Day in Kansas City on Thursday, April 30. Traditionalists are likely to favor The Count Basie Orchestra in the big band’s return to the Music Hall. Keyon Harrold, a trumpeter who integrates hip-hop and R&B into his jazz-based music, headlines an event overseen by the Mutual Musicians Foundation. The host promises attendees will join “a curated audience of creatives, professionals, tastemakers, and culture leaders.”
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Basie Rocks, the Count Basie Orchestra’s collaboration with vocalist Deborah Silver, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Just Us, the new album by Bob James and Dave Koz, received a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of performances led by Clint Ashlock and Cory Weeds.
*Nina Cherry checked in with pianist Ryan Marquez.
Brigadoon
Original image by Plastic Sax.
“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.
Album Review: Deborah Silver and the Count Basie Orchestra- Basie Rocks!
Basie’s Beatle Bag and Basie on the Beatles are degrading totems of a cultural changing of the guard. The very existence of the crass 1960s albums belittles the legacy of a Kansas City jazz institution. Even so, the recordings aren’t half bad.
In a similar fashion, Basie Rocks!, a new release by vocalist Deborah Silver and The Count Basie Orchestra, often overcomes a tacky premise. Eleven classic rocks staples are given campy makeovers. Interesting arrangements, Silver’s enthusiastic crooning and a procession of A-list guest stars make the project listenable.
The push-and-pull of Elton John’s 1973 hit “Bennie and the Jets” lends itself to the concept. A guitar solo from Bill Frisell adds a touch of gravitas to the Steve Miller Band staple “Fly Like an Eagle.” Kurt Elling brings star power to “Tainted Love.”
Only a cover of the Three Dog Night hit “Joy to the World” featuring Trombone Shorty is entirely cringey. The inclusion of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” is appropriate. Now that rock has joined jazz as a subordinate form of popular music, the nostalgic cross-genre alliance is bittersweet rather than demeaning.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*A feel-good story about an elderly Count Basie fan is shared by a TV reporter. Joe Dimino offers his perspective and documents portions of the Count Basie Orchestra’s concert at the Music Hall.
*Bassist Chase McRoy is featured by In Kansas City magazine.
*A television news outlet reports on the latest Jazz District redevelopment project.
Now’s the Time: The Count Basie Orchestra
Organizers are promoting The Count Basie Orchestra’s concert at the Music Hall on Wednesday, April 30, as the world’s biggest event on International Jazz Day. Alas, the current ticket availability at Ticketmaster tells a different story. Even if it plays to a sea of empty seats, the band led by Scotty Barnhart is certain to swing.
Now's the Time: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Count Basie Orchestra’s Basie Swings the Blues won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album on Sunday.
*Nina Cherry commends Isaiah Petrie for Kansas City magazine.
*The Kansas City Star previewed concerts by The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of a performance by UMKC student bands.
*The Kansas City Star notes the January 2 passing of “Groovy” Grant Hopkins.
*A satirical Super Bowl-inspired item in Riff magazine suggests “the Kansas City jazz scene fell out of popularity nearly 70 years ago”.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Logan Richardson’s Holy Water, the Count Basie Orchestra’s Swings the Blues and Matt Otto’s Umbra are among Chris Burnett’s favorite albums of 2023.
Plastic Sax’s Favorite Albums of 2023
Top Ten Albums by Kansas City Artists
1. Matt Otto- Umbra
Plastic Sax review.
2. Mike Dillon and Punkadelick- Inflorescence
Plastic Sax review.
3. Adam Larson- With Love, From New York City
Plastic Sax review.
4. Enzo Carniel, Hermon Mehari, Stéphane Adsuar and Damien Varaillon- No(w) Beauty
Plastic Sax review.
5. Matt Otto- Kansas City Trio
Plastic Sax review.
6. Pat Metheny- Dream Box
Plastic Sax review.
7. Torches Mauve- Volume Two
Plastic Sax review.
8. Narrative Quartet- Narrative
Plastic Sax review.
9. Count Basie Orchestra- Swings the Blues
Plastic Sax review.
10. Danny Embrey- Orion Room
Plastic Sax review.
Top Ten Albums by Artists From Elsewhere
1. Sebastian Rochford and Kit Downes- A Short Diary
2. Jason Moran- From the Dancehall to the Battlefield
3. Sylvie Courvoisier- Chimaera
4. Kassa Overall- Animals
5. Joe Lovano, Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi- Our Daily Bread
6. Henry Threadgill- The Other One
7. Aja Monet- When the Poems Do What They Do
8. Laura Schuler Quartet- Sueños Paralelos
9. Cécile McLorin Salvant- Mélusine
10. Irreversible Entanglements- Protect Your Light
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*A writer for The Pitch insists a performance by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra was “one of the best jazz concerts this city will ever see.”
*Gary Walker interviewed Scotty Barnhart of the Count Basie Orchestra for WBGO.
Album Review: The Count Basie Orchestra- Swings the Blues
The bluesy form of swing popularized by The Count Basie Orchestra in the 1930s is still recognized as the sound of Kansas City around the world. The big band’s latest release Swings the Blues is an invigorating update of the celebratory form.
Led by Scotty Barnhart, the ensemble is joined by an all-star cast of blues musicians. Featured guests including Mr. Sipp, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland and Robert Cray display their distinctive styles as the Basie band retains its signature swing.
Swings the Blues is nothing new for the Count Basie Orchestra. The band’s massive discography includes collaborations with stars including Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Remarkably, Swings the Blues is often every bit as good as those classic recordings.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Pat Metheny explains the impetus of his Dream Box solo tour in a brief video. The concert nearest to Kansas City is in Des Moines, Iowa, on October 3.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Bryan Hicks and documented a set led by Dan Thomas at the Blue Room.
*From a press release: Spotlight: Charlie Parker 2023 celebrates the jazz icon’s 103rd birthday with jam sessions and musical tributes, jazz history tours, lectures, exhibitions, panel discussions, workshops and showcase performances… The event also provides educational opportunities and promotes the music of nearly 20 local Kansas City jazz artists who will perform at select events/venues during the week. Highlighting this year’s Spotlight: Charlie Parker, is Grammy TM nominated alto saxophonist, Tia Fuller, who will serve as the 2023 Spotlight: Charlie Parker Artist-In-Residence. Details are available here.
*From a press release: Candid Records is excited to announce the Sept. 15 release of Basie Swings the Blues, the latest recording by the legendary Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Scotty Barnhart. This extraordinary record fuses the Basie Orchestra’s signature style of sophisticated swing with the raw and soulful talents of a cross section of some of the greatest blues and jazz artists of our times. Featuring a stellar lineup of blues icons and contemporary stars including Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush, Keb’ Mo’, Robert Cray, George Benson, Shemekia Copeland, Ledisi, Mr. Sipp, Lauren Mitchell, Bettye LaVette, and Charlie Musselwhite.
Now’s the Time: Carmen Bradford
Carmen Bradford, a vocalist affiliated with the current edition of the Count Basie Orchestra, will perform in the Kansas City Symphony’s Uptown Nights concerts on Friday, January 6, Saturday, January 7, and Sunday, January 8, at Helzberg Hall.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*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
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*A concert headlined by smooth jazz artist Jackiem Joyner and a performance by Dan Thomas are among the events listed on the schedule of next month’s Spotlight Charlie Parker endeavor.
*The Kansas City Star’s feature about Fairyland Park notes that bands led by Bennie Moten and Count Basie frequently performed at the amusement park.
*A review of a Minneapolis concert by the Count Basie Orchestra was published by the Jazz Police blog.
*Tweet of the Week: Helbing Jazz Initiative- Day 1 of the 2022 Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy Jazz camp! We spent the day focused on the music and legend of Charlie Parker: Kansas City Lightning.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*A pair of Kansas City-adjacent jazz albums received Grammy acknowledgments this week. The Count Basie Orchestra’s Live at Birdland is nominated in the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Pat Metheny’s Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV) is nominated in the category of Best Jazz Instrumental Album.
*Pat Metheny was named Guitarist of the Year in the 86th Annual DownBeat Readers Poll.
*The Lansing City Pulse interviewed Carl Allen. The drummer who was named the William D. and Mary Grant/Endowed Professor of Jazz Studies at UMKC this year mentioned the formation of the Jazz Professors, a group featuring saxophonist Tia Fuller, trombonist Mitch Butler, pianist Cyrus Chestnut and bassist Rodney Whitaker.
*Pat Metheny is on the cover of the December issue of Jazzwise magazine.
*Joe Dimino chatted with drummer Marty Morrison.
*Tweet of the Week: KCUR- A score of Kansas City musicians are nominated for the 2022 Grammy Awards (link)
The Top Jazz Albums of 2021
More than two dozen jazz albums by artists associated with the Kansas City area were released in 2021. A ranking of my ten favorite titles follows. For context, I’ve added a list of my top ten jazz albums by artists without immediate connections to Kansas City.
The Top Kansas City Jazz Albums of 2021
1. Pat Metheny- Road to the Sun
2. Pat Metheny- Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV)
3. Hermon Mehari and Alessandro Lanzoni- Arc Fiction
4. Verploegh and Baker- Singles
5. Steve Million- What I Meant to Say
6. The Count Basie Orchestra- Live at Birdland
7. Florian Arbenz, Hermon Mehari and Nelson Veras- Conversation #1: Condensed
8. John Armato- The Drummer Loves Ballads
9. Lucy Wijnands- Sings the David Heckendorn Song Book
10. Blob Castle- Music for Art Show
The Top Jazz Albums of 2021 by Artists From Elsewhere
1. Irreversible Entanglements- Open the Gates
2. Mathias Eick- When We Leave
3. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills- Notes With Attachments
4. Nala Sinephro- Space 1.8
5. Sons of Kemet- Black to the Future
6. Evan Parker Quartet- All Knavery & Collusion
7. Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble- Now
8. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson- Searching for the Disappeared Hour
9. Artifacts- …And Then There’s This
10. Angel Bat Dawid- Hush Harbor Mixtape Vol. 1: Doxology
Links to similar annual surveys of the past 11 years begin here.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Coal and Diamonds, an album by Kansas City Kansas Community College’s The Standard Vocal Jazz Ensemble, was released last week.
*Stan Kessler and Bennie Moten were recently inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame
*The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a feature about Robert Boone, the current drummer of The Count Basie Orchestra.
*Tweet of the Week: Tom Jackman- Also in KC, the Green Lady Lounge is an all time great jazz joint. #opentil230
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Joe Dimino filmed portions of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra’s “Bird Lives” concert.
*A television station noted the opening of Johnnie’s Jazz Bar & Grille in downtown Kansas City.
*The man behind Plastic Sax raves about the latest release by Moor Mother in the new episode of his In My Headache podcast.
*Tweet of the Week: Count Basie Orchestra- Count Basie was a member of Walter Page’s Blue Devils, as well as Bennie Moten’s Orchestra, the band with which Basie first recorded in October 1929.
Album Review: Count Basie Orchestra- Live at Birdland
Ghosts are real. The Count Basie Orchestra, the ghost band of the late Kansas City jazz legend Count Basie, is haunted by exceptionally lively spirits. Recorded at the New York City venue in 2020, the new release Live at Birdland may be the ensemble’s strongest album since Basie’s death in 1984. Imbued with refined elegance and propulsive swing, the two-and-a-half hour set finds the big band paying homage to the past without seeming old-fashioned or mechanical. The musicians’ succinct, blues-steeped solos are suffused with joy. Rather than sounding as if it belongs in a dilapidated theater, Live at Birdland is a radiant soundtrack for a festive party. Basie lives!