Concert Review: Helen Sung and Bach Aria Soloists at the Folly Theater

Plenty can go wrong at one-off, cross-genre collaborations. Performances of this ilk can be stilted, fussy and worse still, boring. A collaboration between the New York based jazz pianist Helen Sung and Kansas City’s chamber music ensemble Bach Aria Soloists dodged those traps at the Folly Theater on Saturday, April 5.

An audience of more than 300 was entertained by the charming tone of the baroque-meets-jazz experiment. (I paid $33.50 for a seat in the upper balcony.) Much like an elevated variety show, the casual approach staved off priggishness. 

Separate segments featured torch songs, solo piano, a take on Bach with swinging harpsichord and a four-movement suite commissioned by Bach Aria Soloists. Sung explained the latter composition was inspired by Charles Mingus, but the work was infused with echoes of Chick Corea classics like “Spain.”

The great misfortune of the concert was its timing. Habitues of the Folly Theater were thrilled at a March 7 recital by arguably the world’s finest classical pianist and violinist. An eminent jazz band’s homage to Keith Jarrett played the room March 15. While Sung and Bach Aria Soloists didn’t match that level of artistry, their presentation was much more fun.

Concert Review: The Branford Marsalis Quartet at the Folly Theater

A storied American band played a European form of jazz at the Folly Theater on Saturday, Mary 15. The Branford Marsalis Quartet’s uncharacteristically continental ninety-minute concert was a high-concept triumph.

The band reimagines Keith Jarrett’s 1974 album Belonging on its forthcoming album on Blue Note Records. Even when the band wasn’t previewing material from Belonging, the distinctive tone of the ECM Records recording permeated the performance. 

The singular American pianist Jarrett was joined by Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson and Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen on Belonging. Marsalis’ channeling of Garbarek provided the audience of about 1,000 a highly refined but undeniably peculiar experience. (I paid $42 for my ticket.)

Even when Marsalis switched to Ben Webster mode on vintage blues selections like “There Ain’t No Sweet Man That’s Worth the Salt of My Tears,” he and the band retained a sense of cool reserve.

Pianist Joey Calderazzo seemed to enjoy offering new insights into Jarrett’s legacy. As always, the superlative bassist Eric Revis impressed. The absence of Justin Faulker, the quartet’s current drummer, resulted in accidental entertainment.

Realizing that the frequent admonishments of drummer David Hawkins made by the three veterans were visible to the audience, Marsalis explained Hawkins was playing his second gig with the band. Hawkins, a drummer with deep Kansas City ties, didn’t seem fazed by the hazing. In fact, his powerhouse attack was welcome.

Carl Allen and Houston Smith of Kansas City joined Marsalis and Calderazzo for the encore. Calderazzo’s son sat next to his father. The child looked alternately awed, baffled and delighted. His was precisely the right reaction to the slightly disorienting but entirely wonderful concert.

Now’s the Time: Helen Sung

Pianist Helen Sung often explores the intersection of jazz and classical music. On Saturday, April 5, the native Texan will collaborate with the Kansas City chamber music group Bach Aria Soloists at the Folly Theater. Portions of the concert will likely resemble the performance in the embedded video.

Concert Review: Bram and Lucy Wijnands with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater

Lucy Wijnands introduced a rendition of “I’m Old Fashioned” with disarming candor at the Folly Theater on Saturday, March 1. She admitted “we thought this would be appropriate for tonight.” The presentation of period music would have been excruciatingly corny in lesser hands. Instead, the evening of retro-jazz was an artistic triumph.

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra featured keyboardist Bram Wijnands and his daughter Lucy in a generous acknowledgement of an area mainstay that demonstrates the organization’s ongoing commitment to the Kansas City community. The concert was a capstone in Bram’s career. For the New York based Lucy, the night was a memorable coming out party.

Bram Wijnands, a noted stride piano specialist prone to madcap antics, arranged all the material aside from the opening selections of the first and second sets. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra may never have sounded better than on Wijnands’ chart for the Count Basie Orchestra’s 1937 classic “Topsy”.

Turns in the spotlight by trumpeter Trent Austin and saxophonist Brad Gregory stood out amid dozens of impeccable solos. Wijnands’ statements on piano and celesta were similarly thrilling. Kansas City audiences have come to expect excellence from Wijnands and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Wijnands’ daughter Lucy is a relative newcomer.

Lucy Wijnand’s fully realized talent stunned unsuspecting members of the audience of approximately 350. (I was comped.) She shone most brightly while focusing on material Ella Fitzgerald recorded from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Just as her father didn’t attempt to copy Basie’s signature piano style, Lucy didn’t ape Fitzgerald. Instead, her rich vocals resembled Judy Garland as much as Fitzgerald. Stale moments were few and far between. The vim and vigor of the Wijnands and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra made old-fashioned sounds seem brand new.

Now’s the Time: The Branford Marsalis Quartet

The ironic title of the Branford Marsalis Quartet’s potent 2000 album Contemporary Jazz seems even more contentious 25 years later. The embedded video features a rendition of the opening track “In the Crease.” The band will attempt to substantiate its primacy at the Folly Theater on Saturday, March 15.

Now’s the Time: Bram and Lucy Wijnands with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

The Folly Theater hosts the inspired pairing of the father-daughter tandem of Bram and Lucy Wijnands with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, March 1. The Wijnands perform at the London cabaret Crazy Coqs in the embedded video.

Now’s the Time: säje

säje makes its Folly Jazz Series debut on Friday, February 28. The vocal quartet consists of Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick and Amanda Taylor. The song performed in the embedded video won a Grammy Award in the category of “Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals” earlier this month.

Now’s the Time: The Yellowjackets

Smooth jazz practitioners The Yellowjackets may hold the record for most appearances in the Folly Jazz Series. The quartet returns to Kansas City on Saturday, January 25. The current lineup consists of Russell Ferrante, Bob Mintzer, Dane Anderson and Will Kennedy. The embedded video captures a portion of a 1981 performance with a young Ferrante on keyboards.

Now’s the Time: Benny Benack

My aversion to the music of Benny Benack doesn’t mean the New York based performer isn’t popular. The audience-pleasing glee documented in the embedded video will be displayed at the Folly Theater on Saturday, October 26.

Now’s the Time: Sachal Vasandani

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will be joined by vocalist Sachal Vasandani at the Folly Theater on Friday, October 11. The slick crooner interprets the standard “Unforgettable” in the embedded video.

Now’s the Time: Karrin Allyson

The new season of the Folly Jazz Series opens with the return of Karrin Allyson on Saturday, September 21. She chatted with Steve Kraske about the homecoming concert.

Grading the 2024-25 Folly Jazz Series

A spate of recent announcements continued a familiar pattern. Several prominent touring jazz artists will soon perform in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and St. Louis while passing over Kansas City. In spite of those disappointments, the assessments that follow address only what’s presented in the invariably unadventurous bookings of the Folly Jazz Series rather than bemoan the absence of speculative alternatives.

Karrin Allyson
Saturday, September 21
Grade: A
The New York based Kansas City vocalist Karrin Allyson is touring in support of the fine new album A Kiss for Brazil. What’s not to like about her homecoming?

Benny Benack III, Stella Cole and Jabu Graybeal
Saturday, October 26
Grade: D
The grouping of Benny Benack III, Stella Cole and Jabu Graybeal should be a glorious night for people who miss Jerry Vale and Dinah Shore.

The Yellowjackets
Saturday, January 25
Grade: C
Based on the fluffy fusion band’s repeated bookings, The Yellowjackets must be money in the bank for the Folly Jazz Series.

säje
Friday, February 28
Grade: B
säje, the quartet of vocalists Erin Bentlage, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick and Amanda Taylor, alternate between delicate chamber folk and deft vocalese.

Branford Marsalis
Saturday, March 15
Grade: A
Presumably performing with his longstanding quartet, Branford Marsalis’ appearance is the artistic apogee of the season.

Helen Sung with Bach Aria Soloists
Saturday, April 5
Grade: A
The pairing of jazz pianist Helen Sung and the Kansas City chamber music ensemble Bach Aria Soloists is inspired.

An assessment of the previous Folly Jazz Series engagements is here.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Joe Dimino shared footage of Matthew Whitaker’s concert at the Folly Theater.

*Proponents of the Jazz District decry the failed April 2 tax initiative that might have brought a baseball stadium downtown in a KCUR report.

Now’s the Time: Matthew Whitaker

The quintet led by Matthew Whitaker in the embedded video is considerably more progressive than the much of the music documented on the young keyboardist’s official recordings. Here’s hoping Whitaker continues looking forward during his appearance in the Folly Jazz Series on Saturday, April 6.

Now’s the Time: Norman Brown

Norman Brown makes another appearance in the Folly Jazz Series on Saturday, March 9. A cover of Janet Jackson’s 1993 hit “That’s the Way Love Goes” was the breakout track on the Kansas City guitarist’s 1994 album After the Storm.

Now’s the Time: The Hot Sardines

The Hot Sardines are becoming the house band of the Folly Jazz Series. The New York based ensemble returns to the concert hall on Saturday, January 27.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Kansas City magazine takes a peek at area speakeasies of the past and present.

*KCUR includes the Hot Sardines’ encore engagement in the Folly Jazz Series among its January concert recommendations.

Plastic Sax’s Favorite Performances of 2023

Top Ten Performances by Kansas City Artists
1. Mike Dillon, Brian Haas and Nikki Glaspie at the Brick
Plastic Sax review.

2. Hermon Mehari at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.

3. Adam Larson, Matt Clohesy and Jimmy Macbride at Westport Coffee House
Instagram clip.

4. Rod Fleeman at Green Lady Lounge
Instagram clip.

5.  Pat Metheny’s Side-Eye at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Plastic Sax review.

6. Drew Williams, Alex Frank, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
Plastic Sax review.

7. Cynthia van Roden at the Market at Meadowbrook
Instagram snapshot.

8. Chalis O’Neal at the Blue Room
Instagram clip.

9. Alan Voss, Benjamin Baker, Forest Stewart and Evan Verploegh at Swope Park Pavilion
Plastic Sax review.

10. Rich Hill, Arnold Young and Rob Whitsitt in Volker Park
Instagram clip.

Top Ten Performances by Artists from Elsewhere
1. Samara Joy at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.

2. Devin Gray and Maria Elena Silva at the Firehouse Gallery
Plastic Sax review.

3. Bill Frisell, Greg Tardy, Gerald Clayton and Johnathan Blake at the 1900 Building
Plastic Sax review.

4. Artemis at the Gem Theater
Plastic Sax review.

5. CRAG Quartet and Joshua Gerowitz at the Bunker Center for the Arts
Instagram clip.

6. Miguel Zenón Quartet at the Folly Theater
Plastic Sax review.

7. Henrique Eisenmann and Eugene Friesen at the 1900 Building
Plastic Sax review.

8. Robert Stillman at the Midland Theater
There Stands the Glass review.

9. Jack Wright and Ron Stabinsky at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram clip.

10. Rob Magill and Marshall Trammell at Farewell
Plastic Sax review.

(Last year’s survey is here.)

Now’s the Time: Alexa Tarantino

Alexa Tarantino’s headlining performance at the Folly Theater on Saturday, November 11, will be her third appearance in Kansas City this year. The saxophonist joined Artemis at the Gem Theater in March. (Plastic Sax review.) She played with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Folly Theater last month. Tarantino will be accompanied by pianist Steven Feifke, bassist Felix Moseholm and drummer Charles Goold on Saturday.

Now’s the Time: Marilyn Maye

Marilyn Maye, the last of the great saloon singers, returns to the Folly Theater for concerts with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra on Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28. She delivers “I’m Still Here” in a March appearance at Carnegie Hall in the embedded video.