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Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Brian Baggett Trio is featured on the latest episode of Kansas Public Radio’s Live at Green Lady Lounge program.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of performances by Deborah Brown and Wire Town.
*The Pitch checked in with Eddie Moore.
Deborah Brown tops the bill at the Winterlude Jazz Festival at Johnson County Community College on Saturday, February 15. The Kansas City vocalist also performs with pianist George Colligan at the Blue Room on Friday, February 14, and at Upcycle Piano Craft on Sunday, February 16.
Despite enduring constant turbulence during the first 25 years of the new millennium, Kansas City’s jazz musicians never ceased creating timeless art. The following list highlights a fraction of the vital recordings released since 2000. The recency bias on display reflects Plastic Sax’s founding in 2007 as well as the uptick in the quantity and quality of releases in recent years. A corresponding non-jazz albums ranking is here.
1. Peter Schlamb- Tinks (2004)
2. Logan Richardson- Shift (2016)
3. Bobby Watson- Back Home in Kansas City (2022)
4. Hermon Mehari- Asmara (2022)
5. Bob Bowman- Songs for Sandra (2014)
6. Pat Metheny- Orchestrion (2010)
7. Ahmad Alaadeen- And the Beauty of It All (ASR 2007)
8. Karrin Allyson- Imagina: Songs of Brasil (2008)
9. Steve Cardenas- Panoramic (2002)
10. Mike Dillon- Inflorescence (2023)
11. Deborah Brown- Songbird (2003)
12. Adam Larson- With Love, From Kansas City (2022)
13. Myra Taylor- My Night to Dream (2001)
14. Matt Otto and Ensemble Ibérica- Ibérica (2017)
15. The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City- The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City (2010)
16. Kevin Mahogany- Pride & Joy (2002)
17. Micah Herman- The Ship, Vol. 1: The Studio Sessions (2011)
18. EMAS Quartet- EMS (2022)
19. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- Kings & Queens (2016)
20. Rod Fleeman Trio- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3 (2024)
21. Alaturka- Tamam Abi (2010)
22. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin' (2024)
23. Everette DeVan- For the Love of You (2014)
24. Gregory Hickman-Williams- Passages (2006)
25. Marcus Lewis Big Band- Brass and Boujee (2018)
Deborah Brown and Bobby Watson are the preeminent musicians based in the Kansas City area. Each is an international treasure. Brown and Watson will be featured at the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra’s concert at the Folly Theater on Friday, May 17. Brown is accompanied by the Portland pianist George Colligan in the embedded video.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*KCUR reported on the resignation of Rashida Phillips as the executive director of the American Jazz Museum.
*Reed Jackson investigated the Kansas origins of guitarist David Lord for The Pitch.
*Greg Carroll and Deborah Brown promoted the annual Spotlight: Charlie Parker initiative on KCUR.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Matt Otto.
*Marc Myers is on a Basie bender.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Hermon Mehari was featured on Radio France.
*Bird Lives, a Swedish tribute to Charlie Parker, was nominated for three Grammy Awards yesterday.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of Deborah Brown’s performance with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.
*Tweet of the Week: Dr. Compact Housedwarf- I have seen Etta at a jazz and blues festival in Kansas City! Too bad they don’t do that festival anymore. Outdoors and cheap to get in.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Eddie Moore chatted with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up To Date. His portion of the segment begins around the 12-minute mark.
*Skateboard celebrity Sean Malto cites Green Lady Lounge as one of his favorite Kansas City haunts in a Thrillist feature.
*Tim Whitmer’s letter praising the late Charlie Wheeler was published by The Kansas City Star.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Deborah Brown and shared footage of a performance by the JCCC Faculty Jazz Quintet.
*Footage of Leon Brady’s 90th birthday party was uploaded to YouTube.
*Wyandotte Daily published a press release for m-pact’s activities at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
*Tweet of the Week: Steve Paul- "Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley," by Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison, Ted Nash.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Brian Baggett and Ken Lovern discuss Baggett’s forthcoming album in a promotional video.
*The Kansas City debut of the Los Angeles duo Ohma is reviewed at There Stands the Glass.
*Bobby Watson promoted a concert in Schenectady in a candid interview with a correspondent for Albany’s The Times-Union.
*Jazzwise considers the sound of Britain’s Big Band Metheny ensemble.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Morgan Faw and shared clips of performances by the Greg Meise Trio, Lisa Henry and the Hannover Big Band.
*Tweet of the Week: Midwest Music Foundation- JUST ANNOUNCED! Check out the official lineup for Apocalypse Meow, Nov 5th at the @recordBar, ft. Eddie Moore, MellowPhobia, The Electric Lungs, purextc, and Nathan Corsi and My Atomic Daydream! Grab tickets: (link) #apocalypsemeow #abbysfund
*From a press release: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Executive Director Lea Petrie today announced the next concert for the 2022-2023 20th Anniversary season, The Voice featuring guest artist Deborah Brown, Thursday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at … Helzberg Hall… Brown is one of many American jazz performers who found her greatest fame and recognition overseas rather than in the U.S.
A seasick-green filter hardly detracts from the divine version of “Save Your Love for Me” performed by the impeccable Kansas City vocalist Deborah Brown and the New York City based pianist Bruce Barth in the embedded video.