Album Review: Wire Town- Riffin’ on Grand

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The folksy expression applies to Wire Town’s artful new album Riffin’ on Grand. As with the band’s 2024 debut recording, Wire Town’s new release documents four of Kansas City’s finest artists honoring the town’s jazz tradition with seventy minutes of exquisite musicianship and life-affirming spirit.

Riffin’ on Grand again features guitarists Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman along with bassist Gerald Spaits. Brian Steever ably replaces Todd Strait on drums on the set recorded at Green Lady Lounge eight months ago. The quartet has nothing to prove and no axes to grind. The four men strike an ideal balance of reserved tastefulness and articulate individual statements.

Embrey and Fleeman display the sort of mindmeld that can only be attained by close friends through decades of collaboration. Sublimating their egos, the guitarists and their band mates craft sonic landscapes as modestly majestic as the most dignified shan shui painting.

Green Lady Lounge hosts the album release show for Riffin’ on Grand at 6 p.m. Sunday, February 16.

Album Review: Arnold Young and the Roughtet- Young Spirit

The brazen title of the 1959 album The Shape of Jazz to Come seems idealistic today. Few of Ornette Coleman’s innovations have been adopted by mainstream jazz musicians. The harmolodics devised by Coleman thrive only in the fringes of improvised music.

Arnold Young has personified outsider jazz in Kansas City for more than 50 years. The drummer’s 2024 album Young Spirit often seems like an homage to Coleman’s initial conceptions. Young also looks beyond early Coleman on the 69-minute recording. The funky “Monkey Motor Company” is reminiscent of Coleman efforts like the 1982 album Of Human Feelings. 

Adam Galblum evokes the free jazz fiddler Leroy Jenkins on “The Stone the Builder Refused.” Song titles alluding to additional iconoclasts such as Nduduzo Makhathini, Roscoe Mitchell and Charlie Parker suggest additional variations.  While Young is always front and center, the powerful presence of bassist Gerald Spaits is no less essential. Their sturdy foundation allows several young Kansas City horn players to shine. 

The revolution incited by Coleman and his cohorts converted surprisingly few followers, but Young remains a true believer. A young spirit who refuses to lose his edge, Young continues to spread Coleman’s audacious directive in a dauntless mission to change the shape of jazz in Kansas City.

Album Review: Rod Fleeman- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3

There are two types of people in the Kansas City area: those who recognize Green Lady Lounge as a civic treasure and those who have yet to enjoy one of the region’s most indelible experiences. Rod Fleeman’s longstanding Saturday afternoon residency is the most sublime of the weekly showcases at the popular jazz club.

The guitarist is joined by bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Ray DeMarchi on Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3. Memorable compositions, exquisite group interplay and astonishing sonic clarity make Volume 3 the best release yet in the series.

Fleeman became an extraordinarily accomplished jazz classicist after forgoing a career in jazz fusion. His thorough mastery of jazz guitar from Django Reinhardt through Wes Montgomery is evident throughout Volume 3.

Spaits is given plenty of room to showcase his prodigious talent. The tactful DeMarchi never overwhelms his bandmates. The relaxed ambiance of Saturday afternoons at Green Lady Lounge also contributes to the recording’s worth. Yet the album isn’t merely a local souvenir. The music on Volume 3 would impress audiences in mainstream jazz venues from New York City to Tokyo.

Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3 is available at streaming services and at digital retailers. The official CD release event takes place at Green Lady Lounge from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27.

Album Review: Christopher Burnett- Originals

Christopher Burnett is a paragon of taste. His new album Originals is characterized by sprightly melodies and amiable swing. The stately jazz is ideally suited for background music at an elegant dinner party or as the center of attention in a ritzy supper club. The saxophonist is joined by prominent Kansas City musicians including vibraphonist Greg Carroll, bassist Gerald Spaits, guitarist Will Matthews and pianist Roger Wilder. The funky guitar effect on the alternate take of “Yesteryears” closing the album is the only deviation from the immaculately polite tone. One last thing: Burnett is the one of the few Kansas City based jazz artists utilizing Spotify Canvas. It’s typical of the meticulous attention to detail Burnett displays throughout Originals.

Album Review: Wire Town- Kansas City

The beautiful ballad “Tell Me Now” closes the debut album of Wire Town. No less rapturous than the collaboration of legendary guitar heroes Jim Hall and Pat Metheny, the hushed “Tell Me Now” is an outlier on Kansas City.

The eight tracks preceding “Tell Me Now” exemplify Green Lady Lounge’s signature sound: jaunty instrumental jazz rendered by elite musicians. Each of the esteemed members of Wire Town- guitarists Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Todd Strait- are closely associated with Green Lady Lounge.

Recorded live at the bustling Kansas City venue, the 69-minute Kansas City is a winning showcase for the considerable talents of the quartet. With the exception of “Tell Me Now,” the uptempo selections are vehicles for engaging soloing and seamless interplay.

The album’s official release show is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, January 28, at Green Lady Lounge.

Album Review: Danny Embrey- Orion Room

Stepping through the doors of Green Lady Lounge is a transportive experience. The transition from urban sidewalk to swanky jazz club necessitates a psychological shift. Revelers immediately sense good times are imminent.

Kansas City’s most popular jazz venue has a second performance space in the basement. The Orion Room is even groovier than the lounge upstairs. 

Even though it was recorded at Green Lady Lounge in 2023, Danny Embrey’s new album Orion Room captures the speakeasy ambience of the plush basement. The guitarist, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Brian Steever craft a slinky soundtrack to slightly subversive behavior.

While several solos are stupendous, the emphasis of Orion Room isn’t on the individual statements. Instead, the music is an invitation to a party brimming with sly innuendos and knowing winks.

Embrey has long been one of Kansas City’s most respected musicians. Spaits and Steever steer his sophisticated playing in insinuating directions. The trio get into artistically exhilarating forms of trouble on Orion Room. All are welcome at the seductive soirée.

Now’s the Time: Charles Perkins and Gerald Spaits

The 2023-24 season of noon jazz recitals at Johnson County Community College opens with a performance overseen by saxophonist Charles Perkins and bassist Gerald Spaits on Tuesday, September 19. Details are here.

Album Review: Rod Fleeman- Saturday Afternoon at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 2

Many people would agree with the proposition that the most delightful hours of the week transpire on Saturday afternoon.  Looking back on Friday night’s fun while anticipating the impending evening’s revelry often results in several carefree hours.  

An astute group of discerning jazz fans in Kansas City savor Saturday afternoons for an additional reason.  Rod Fleeman, the elite Kansas City guitarist named Plastic Sax’s 2021 Person of the Year, leads a trio every Saturday afternoon at Green Lady Lounge.

Partly because Ray DeMarchi replaces drummer Todd Strait, the new Saturday Afternoon at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 2 has a slightly jauntier feel than the first volume.  The impeccable bassist Gerald Spaits appears on both sets.

Although all 13 selections are original compositions, much of the fun consists in hearing Fleeman weave in, out and around famous riffs, licks and melodies.  His quotes range from Duke Ellington to The Beatles.  Yet Fleeman isn’t a mere punster.

While playful, the references are just one element in the pretense-free, good-time music that just incidentally happens to be magnificent art.  The effervescent Saturday Afternoon at Green Lady Lounge series makes that undiluted joy accessible anytime and anywhere.

Album Review: Rod Fleeman- Saturday Afternoon (Live at Green Lady Lounge)

The secret is out.  Rod Fleeman’s longstanding weekly matinee gig at Green Lady Lounge has long been one of Kansas City’s hidden gems.  The release of Saturday Afternoon (Live at Green Lady Lounge) reveals the magic of the furtive Saturday afternoon tradition to the world.

The guitarist has spent decades as one of Kansas City’s most in-demand sidemen.  He’s best known for his collaborations with Karrin Allyson, Marilyn Maye and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.  Incredibly, Saturday Afternoon is Fleeman’s first album as a leader.  

In one of the absorbing videos in which he discusses his life and career with Ken Lovern, Fleeman says “I want to sound like I’m from Kansas City.”  He’s succeeded.  Saturday Afternoons is 52 minutes of unadulterated Kansas City swing.  

Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Todd Strait perform six original compositions with jubilant informality.  While Fleeman disdains flash, his solos prove that tastefulness needn’t be devoid of color.  His wit and imagination are displayed throughout.

Many readers were baffled when Fleeman was named Plastic Sax’s 2021 Person of the Year.  His low profile- exacerbated by the lack of a recording as a leader prevented the guitarist from receiving his due.  Fleeman gets an overdue turn to shine on the radiant Saturday Afternoon.

Now’s the Time: Rod Fleeman

Rod Fleeman, Plastic Sax’s 2021 Person of the Year, leads a trio every Saturday afternoon at Green Lady Lounge. The guitarist performs with a band led by drummer John Armato in the embedded video.

Album Review: John Armato- The Drummer Loves Ballads

The most emblematic Kansas City jazz album of 2021 is the work of a drummer who currently lives in Sacramento.  John Armato oversees a bevy of prominent Kansas City musicians on his ambitious concept album The Drummer Loves Ballads.

Armato turns to the contacts he made during the years he spent on Kansas City’s jazz scene to realize his imaginative vision.  Two storied outsiders- saxophonist Houston Person and cornetist Warren Vaché- also get in on the action on the project released in May.

A survey of a few highlights reflects the album’s breadth.  Brett Jackson pays tribute to the late baritone saxophonist Kerry Strayer on “Night Lights.”  Lucy Wijnands, the daughter of the Kansas City mainstay Bram Wijnands, croons the dreamy chanson “The Shadows of Paris.”

A duet by vocalists Ron Gutierrez and Molly Hammer is ravishing.  Veteran pianist Wayne Hawkins and clarinetist Lynn Zimmer make sentimental contributions.  An interpretation of “Lonely Woman” features characteristically stunning work from guitarist Rod Fleeman and bassist Gerald Spaits.

The inclusion of so many scene stalwarts on the stylistically conservative, musically impeccable and deliberately hushed The Drummer Loves Ballads makes the album an invaluable document of the mainstream sound that continues to dominate Kansas City’s jazz clubs.

Album Review: Molly Hammer- I’m Feeling Mellow

Lukewarm reviews of Molly Hammer’s albums at Plastic Sax incited incensed reactions among friends of the Kansas City vocalist.  I’ve repeatedly suggested Hammer’s talent is better suited to sophisticated cabaret standards and brooding torch songs rather than the uptempo jazz that dominates her recordings.  

That’s why I’m over the moon about Hammer’s new album I'm Feeling Mellow.  Accompanied by guitarist Rod Fleeman and bassist Gerald Spaits, she interprets selections associated with Julie London.  By emphasizing her strengths, Hammer made the album I’ve always wanted from her.

London was joined by guitarist Barney Kessel and bassist Ray Leatherwood on her classic 1960 debut Julie Is Her Name.  Even though four of I’m Feeling Mellow’s ten tracks mirror the setting of Julie Is Her Name, Hammer’s tribute isn’t a mere facsimile.

Rather than imitating London’s icy and crystalline voice, Hammer invests heartfelt urgency in her scuffed, dented and bruised instrument.  The worldly I’m Feeling Mellow is the work of a woman who knows a lot about life.

Fleeman, a musician best known outside Kansas City for his work with Karrin Allyson, plays with his usual tasteful flair.  And as he’s done innumerable times for the cabaret star Marilyn Maye, Spaits thoughtfully accentuates the vocals.

I’m Feeling Mellow is the definitive Hammer recording.  I’m likely to turn to the album rather than to London’s catalog when I want to hear “Cry Me a River” or “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” ten years from now.  It’s enormously gratifying to finally give a Hammer album my unqualified endorsement.