I didn’t set out to enrage readers with the unintentionally incendiary K.C. Blues series. The first three installments are a surprisingly controversial reality check. Problems are best addressed with candid recognition of the challenges. This, the fourth and final part of the series, lists eight reasons for optimism.
1. Lonnie’s Reno Club isn’t a new jazz venue. The hotel at 1111 Grand Boulevard has long hosted live jazz. But the newly rebranded club is slated to feature performances by the dynamic Lonnie McFadden three nights a week. In addition to being an ideal attraction for guests from out of town, the exciting concept breathes new life into Kansas City’s arts scene.
2. Rashida Phillips hasn’t had an adequate opportunity to show her stripes. The pandemic hit a few months after she was named the Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum. Here’s hoping Phillips is a creative innovator capable of altering the trajectory of the troubled institution.
3. The stylistic breadth of jazz made in Kansas City continues to expand. Amber Underwood, Eddie Moore and Logan Richardson are among the musicians capable of growing the audience for improvised sounds by bridging the divide between jazz and popular music.
4. Bobby Watson is irreplaceable. Yet the addition of Adam Larson to the faculty of the UMKC Conservatory lessens the blow of Watson’s retirement from academia. Larson possesses substantial artistic imagination and vital industry connections.
5. "Chronicles of Conception", a track Ernest Melton quietly issued earlier this year, suggests the brilliance occasionally flashed by the saxophonist may soon turn into a consistent torrent of inspiration.
6. The improvised music scene will be infused by a manic burst of energy if the peripatetic Mike Dillon continues to hang his hat in Kansas City. His return to his longtime home coincides with the release of the outstanding Rosewood.
7. The emergence of live streaming as a (semi)viable alternative to conventional performances is constructive. The high quality of productions at Black Dolphin continues to astound. There’s no reason the digital presentations shouldn’t be held over following a return to normalcy.
8. I’ll reveal my annual year-end top ten jazz album list by Kansas City artists in several weeks. Impressive 2020 releases are so plentiful that several strong albums won’t make the cut. My recognition of the abundant artistic excellence is yet another reminder to readers that my grievances shouldn’t be misconstrued as discontent with the music produced by Kansas City’s jazz musicians.
