A gentle breeze elevates We Need the Wind. Brian Scarborough’s second album as a leader soars on an uplifting current of optimism. The trombonist is joined by four prominent Kansas City jazz musicians. Saxophonist Matt Otto, keyboardist Roger Wilder, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer Brian Steever assent to Scarborough’s innate cheerfulness. The Fender Rhodes wielded by Wilder adds a jaunty texture to the session. Otto adds characteristically thoughtful commentary to Scarborough’s melodies. The sturdy resolve of Harshbarger and Steever bolster the nine tracks. As for Scarborough, the multiplicity of his lofty talent continues to necessitate comparison to the Kansas City jazz icon Bob Brookmeyer.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
*Seth Davis, Mike Dillon and Matt Otto received votes in El Intruso’s 16th Annual International Critics Poll.
*A slightly different version of the audio feature about Charlie Parker’s Grafton saxophone created for KCUR in December aired nationally on NPR’s Morning Edition program last week.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of recent performances of bands led by Pete Fucinaro and Adam Larson.
*WBGO aired a travelog set in Kansas City’s Jazz District.
Jazz Caucus
The crucial Iowa caucus takes place on January 15. For improvised music obsessives, equally vital electoral returns arrived earlier this month. The 18th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll is the most comprehensive and meaningful of the yearly jazz surveys.
More than 500 titles released in 2023 received at least one vote from the poll’s 159 participants in the foremost new album category. In separate groupings, 57 debut albums, 51 vocal albums and 40 Latin jazz albums were acknowledged. (My ballot is here.)
Pouring over the results to glean meaning is akin to reading tea leaves, or for those who dislike innovative jazz, more like the ancient practice of divining the future by examining the entrails of animal sacrifices.
The expansiveness of this year’s poll indicates there’s little consensus even within the secluded jazz community. The staggering deluge of vital jazz exacerbates the form’s esoteric image.
Kansas City is represented by Pat Metheny’s Dream Box (#78 with four votes) and Matt Otto’s Umbra (tied at #473 with a single vote). In the Rara Avis category, the reissue of the Massey Hall concert featuring Charlie Parker (#26 with three votes) and the Basie All Stars’ Live at Fabrik Vol. 1: Hamburg 1981 (tied at #101 with one vote) were also recognized.
In a corresponding essay, Tom Hull, the man overseeing the complex tabulations for the poll, ponders the electorate’s consumption of the form. As a courtesy to Hull and on the off chance any Plastic Sax readers are curious, I’ve responded to his queries.
How many promos do you get and listen to?
I received less than a dozen CDs and vinyl albums last year. I have access to innumerable complimentary digital downloads.
How much streaming (do) you do?
A minimum of ten hours a day.
How much radio (do) you listen to?
I rarely listen to terrestrial radio. I stream loads of archived radio features and programs.
What (is) the split… between jazz and other music?
Approximately a third of the music I consume is jazz.
What other kinds of music do you like or hate?
I love all types of music.
(Are you) giving up some amount of (professional) opportunity cost to (cover jazz)?
Yes. It’s especially nice when an occasional endeavor unexpectedly pays off.
The Top Stories and Trends of 2023 on Kansas City’s Jazz Scene
1. Last Train Home
The Lee’s Summit native Pat Metheny snapped an eleven-year embargo of the Kansas City area with a concert at Muriel Kauffman Theatre in June.
2. Larson vs. Otto: Everybody Wins
The astounding productivity of Adam Larson and Matt Otto, Kansas City based saxophonists in their artistic primes, resembled a friendly cutting contest.
3. Too Marvelous for Words
The Kansas City mainstay Marilyn Maye celebrated her 95th birthday with a concert at Carnegie Hall.
4. Everything’s Up to Date in Kansas City
The Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society presented performances by cutting-edge touring musicians including Vinny Golia, Maria Elena Silva, Eli Wallace and Jack Wright.
5. Absinthe Ascendent
Green Lady Lounge tightened its stranglehold as Kansas City’s dominant jazz venue. A program on Kansas Public Radio and an ongoing series of live albums furthered its hegemony.
6. Outside the Lines
Just two of Plastic Sax’s 20 Favorite Performances of 2023 transpired in jazz clubs. Venues including concert halls and art galleries hosted much of the most interesting improvised music performed in Kansas City.
7. Ticketed
Attendance at concerts by Samara Joy, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Pat Metheny and Domi and JD Beck indicates the Kansas City area is home to about 1,500 people who are willing to pay $25 or more to hear instrumental jazz.
8. Turnover
Rashida Phillips resigned her position as Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum.
9. It Takes a Village
The Prairie Village Jazz Festival, a one-day, single-stage event featuring locally based musicians, remains the region’s most notable jazz festival.
10. Con Man
Con Chapman’s Kansas City Jazz A Little Evil Will Do You Good provided new insights into the area’s jazz history.
Last year’s recap is here.
Matt Otto: Plastic Sax's Person of the Year
Umbra and Kansas City Trio rank first and fifth on Plastic Sax’s Favorite Albums of 2023 list. The albums are showcases for the impeccably refined work of Matt Otto. The subtle power contained in the one-two punch from the unprepossessing saxophonist makes him Plastic Sax’s Person of the Year for 2023. The previous recipients of the designation are Seth Davis and Evan Verploegh (2022), Rod Fleeman (2021), Charlie Parker (2020), Logan Richardson (2019), Peter Schlamb (2018), John Scott (2017), Eddie Moore (2016), Larry Kopitnik (2015), Deborah Brown (2014), Stan Kessler (2013), Doug and Lori Chandler (2012), Jeff Harshbarger (2011), Mark Lowrey (2010) and Hermon Mehari (2009). Bobby Watson was named the Plastic Sax Person of the Decade in 2009 and again in 2019.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
*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.
Album Review: The Alex Frank Quartet- Reclaim
Matt Otto’s Umbra, Plastic Sax’s favorite album of 2023, features elegant contributions from guitarist Alex Frank. The Kansas City musician makes a similarly graceful statement on his new album Reclaim. Accompanied by keyboardist Matt Villinger, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer John Kizilarmut, Frank displays uncommon melodic bounce and an optimistic sensibility. Frank often seems on the verge of shredding, but in keeping with his tasteful playing with Otto, restraint is the byword of Reclaim.
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
*A quartet led by guitarist Alex Frank performed for Kansas Public Radio.
*Joe Dimino shared footage of a Jenna Bauer set at the Blue Room.
*A blogger named Matt Otto’s Umbra the best album released by a Kansas City musician in 2023.
*Reed Jackson interviewed the jazz-adjacent Maria Elena Silva for The Pitch.
Album Review: Matt Otto- Umbra
Umbra, the Matt Otto album released in August by Origin Records, is an understated masterpiece. Imbued with quiet grace, Umbra reflects the subtle magnanimity associated with Otto, a Kansas City saxophonist with a cool West Coast approach.
Yet the vaguely threatening “Little Things” opens Umbra. The core trio of saxophonist Otto, bassist Jeff Harshbarger and drummer Kizilarmut is supplemented by shadowy contributions from trumpeter Hermon Mehari, keyboardist Matt Villinger and guitarist Alex Frank.
The musicians seem intent on pursuing peaceful resolutions on the remainder of the album. Otto promptly sets about addressing the quandary on the gorgeous second selection “Hawk.”
“Paw Paw,” perhaps Umbra’s best track, mirrors the excellence of Otto’s previous 2023 album Kansas City Trio. Kizilarmut’s sly playing indicates he’s become one of the elite drummers in improvised music.
The elastic “Melisma” concludes Umbra by alluding to the tension presented in “Little Things.” Profound equanimity, paired with extraordinary musicianship, gracefully resolve the album’s intellectual and spiritual challenges.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
*Nina Cherry highlighted Matt Otto’s latest album for Kansas City magazine.
*Concerts by Gregory Porter and High Pulp are among KCUR’s recommendations for September.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
*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.
Album Review: Matt Otto- Kansas City Trio
The three trio albums Adam Larson released in a 14-month span are one of the most artistically rewarding achievements undertaken by a Kansas City musician in years. As if in response to Larson’s vital statement, Matt Otto issued the similarly daring Kansas City Trio on June 30.
Three Kansas City bassists- Bob Bowman, Jeff Harshbarger Ben Leifer- and three locally based drummers- John Kizilarmut, Marty Morrison and Brian Steever- construct interesting frameworks for Otto’s endlessly imaginative excursions.
The robust intellect, sly humor and gracious humanity displayed by Otto imbue the 12 tracks with magnificent grace. While his trios are always controlled and cool, their approaches emanate from the adventurous edge of mainstream jazz.
Relatively young artists, Larson and Otto are in their artistic primes. Any mid-size city would be lucky to claim one such elite saxophonist. Kansas City is exceptionally fortunate that both Larson and Otto call Kansas City home.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
*Matt Otto told Steve Kraske about his latest album on KCUR’s Up To Date program.
*The first two episodes of Kansas Public Radio’s new program Live at Green Lady Lounge are available for streaming.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
*Matt Otto told The Pitch about his new album.
*Dunn Deal, a restaurant operated by Gerald Dunn of the American Jazz Museum, is slated to open in August.
*Reed Jackson reviewed Pat Metheny’s concert at Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
*Dave Scott chatted with Joe Dimino.
*Julie Denesha interviewed Donald Harrison and Stephon Alexander in advance of an event at the Folly Theater.
*Outings by Peter Schlamb’s Electric Tinks and the Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra are included in a recap of the Boulevardia festival.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
*A Philadelphian wrote a guide to area jazz venues for The Kansas City Star.
*Tweet of the Week: Green Lady Lounge- Guitar Elation - Dues Blues (Composer: Danny Embrey) #Jazz #NowPlaying #KansasCityJazz (link)
*From a press release: The KU Jazz 50th Anniversary Celebration will commemorate 50 years of the “official” jazz program—and the “unofficial” bands that existed before this. The event will feature two concerts highlighting alumni of the KU Jazz Studies Program, both taking place at 7:30 PM at the Lied Center… On Friday, October 28, 2022, the current edition of KU Jazz Ensemble I will present a tribute to saxophonist and woodwind artist Gary Foster, with guest soloists Steve Houghton (drums), Matt Otto and Paul Haar (saxophones), Ron McCurdy (trumpet), Jeff Harshbarger (bass) and others. The following evening on Saturday, October 29, 2022, KU alumni from the past 50 years will perform in big bands and a vocal jazz ensemble and will be directed by the program’s 4 directors—Robert Foster (the founder of the program in 1972), James Barnes, Dr. Ron McCurdy and Dan Gailey. Tickets are available here.
Now’s the Time: Marcus Lewis
Saxophonist Matt Otto is among the outstanding musicians who will perform in a band led by trombonist Marcus Lewis at the Blue Room on Friday, July 23. The embedded video captures one of their 2016 collaborations.
Album Review: Stephen Martin- High Plains
Bobby Watson and Stephen Martin romp through an affectionate interpretation of Benny Golson’s standard “Stablemates” on the latter musician’s new release High Plains. Bold and assured, the selection exemplifies the impeccable form of swing that’s dominated Kansas City’’s jazz scene in recent decades.
Watson is one of several members of an elite consortium of notable Kansas City musicians joining Martin on his second album. The saxophonist’s vision is bolstered by Peter Schlamb (vibraphone and piano) and Ben Leifer (basses). Saxophonist Matt Otto produced High Plains and performs on one track. The Nebraska based drummer David Hawkins rounds out the group.
High Plains is suffused with Martin’s devotion to John Coltrane. Thanks partly to Schlamb’s wondrous invocation of McCoy Tyner, the band reaches Afro Blue Impressions-level intensity on “The Void.” Martin and his stablemates are less clamorous on the remainder of the album. Mainstream jazz- in Kansas City or anywhere else- doesn’t get much better than High Plains.
Now's the Time: Bob Bowman
Bob Bowman exhibits his formidable talent in a duo setting with saxophonist Matt Otto in the embedded video. The venerable bassist performs at Yardley Hall on Sunday, October 17. Tickets are available here.
Now's the Time: Brian Scarborough
Brian Scarborough’s debut album Sunflower Song took sixth place in Plastic Sax’s ranking of the Top Kansas City Jazz Albums of 2020. The trombonist and his band perform the present-day Kansas City jazz standard “The Owl” in the embedded video.