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Original image by Plastic Sax.
*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.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Rick Willoughby and shared footage of a performance led by Matt Villinger.
*Adam Larson and Mike Dillon were lauded on the KKFI radio program Wednesday Midday Medley.
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
Original image of Artemis at the Gem Theater by Plastic Sax.
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.)
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The author of Plastic Sax included releases featuring Mike Dillon, Adam Larson and Hermon Mehari in his ranking of The Best Jazz Albums of 2023 (So Far).
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*KCUR aired an audio feature about Mike Dillon.
*Pat Metheny’s appearance at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is among KCUR’s June concert recommendations.
*Ian Bennett suggests Kansas City jazz is a cultural ghost in an essay for The Pitch.
*Tweet of the Week: Jeff Shirley- Terrarium (Official Video Teaser) Listen to Jeff Shirley’s album “Blue Gold” now: Spotify: (link) Amazon Music Streaming: (link) iTunes: (link) (video clip)
*From a press release: On Monday, June 19, the Sunflower Music Festival at White Concert Hall on the Washburn University campus (in) Topeka, will welcome Kansas City’s popular City Light Jazz Orchestra back for Jazz Night. The orchestra, under the direction of Angela Ward, will present A Tribute to Black Female Composers.
The longstanding radio program Retro Cocktail Hour specializes in the charmingly quaint and amusingly outmoded jazz-based exotica associated with space-age bachelor pads. Mike Dillon, Brian Haas and Nikki Glaspie turn the concept inside-out on Inflorescence. The trio goofs on the ersatz vocalese of Yma Sumac on “Desert Monsoon,” the opening track of the new album, and toys with the French chansons of Édith Piaf on the closing selection “Never Been to Paris.” Everything in between is a wild-eyed percussive romp. The interplay between vibraphonist and longtime Kansas City troublemaker Dillon, keyboardist Haas and drummer Glaspie provides thrilling immediacy. But forget about elaborate cocktails. Fireball shooters from a gas station are a more suitable companion for the proper appreciation of Inflorescence.
Original image of Brian Haas and Mike Dillon at the Brick by Plastic Sax.
I attended a cutting-edge jazz festival in Kansas City on Wednesday, January 4. What’s that? You didn’t know about the event? Well, since Kansas City hasn’t hosted a proper jazz festival in five years, I’ve taken to curating one-night festivals for myself.
On Wednesday I spent five hours at three venues taking in an immensely rewarding blend of touring and locally based artists. The faux festival got off to a rough start at Westport Coffee House ($10 cover). When guitarist Seth Andrew Davis thanked members of the audience for attending, the Bay Area keyboardist Scott R. Looney sneered “three people!”
The other musicians seemed to brush off Looney’s disappointment in the turnout. Looney, Davis and the New York based percussionist Kevin Cheli began by playing what sounded like devilish variations on the cartoon music of Raymond Scott.
Looney, bassist Krista Kopper and drummer Evan Verploegh toyed with extreme dynamics in the second set. In staving off mere anarchy by holding the center, Kopper was the most valuable contributor to a third set featuring all five musicians. The first stage of the festival concluded with an improvisation on what may have been an inverse version of Miles Davis’ “All Blues.”
The second phase of the bespoke festival transpired at Green Lady Lounge ($5 cover). I joined about 75 revelers for a set by OJT, the popular venue’s de facto house band. Seated directly behind drummer Sam Platt, my appreciation of the ways in which guitarist Brian Baggett and organist Ken Lovern apply their roots in rock to update the organ jazz trio tradition was strengthened.
Funkadelick headlined the fake fest at the Brick ($10 cover). Drummer Nikki Glaspie had the night off, so the peripatetic Mike Dillon and Brian Haas, the keyboardist best known for his groundbreaking work with Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, operated as a duo for most of their nearly two-hour set.
Dillon manned his expansive rig like punk-jazz’s answer to Carl Palmer as he and Haas interpreted the entirety of the forthcoming album Inflorescence. The tandem was later joined in musical roughhousing by guest drummer Arnold Young. A violent interpolation of the Stooges’ proto-punk classic “I Wanna Be Your Dog” typified the raucous attack.
Drawn to the pocket-size stage like a moth to a flame, I posted up front and center for most of the riveting performance. The approximately 50 people seated behind me couldn’t have been pleased that I obstructed their sightlines. I didn’t care. After all, it was my festival.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*When he wasn’t raving about the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society, the author of Plastic Sax played jazz and jazz-adjacent music including tracks by Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio, Anna Butterss and “Ode to Mary,” Moor Mother’s tribute to Mary Lou Williams on a best-of 2022 radio program.
*Soirée Steak & Oyster House, a restaurant in the Jazz District that occasionally features jazz performances, is the beneficiary of a crowd-funding campaign.
*Mike Dillon chatted with Joe Dimino.
*Tweet of the Week: Mo- My friends and i trying to take pictures at @GreenLadyLounge last night (meme)
*From a press release: CD Release Event at Green Lady Lounge on Saturday, January 14, from 2:30 to 5:30 pm.: After decades of working as a sought-after sideman and invaluable collaborator for the likes of Karrin Allyson, Diane Shuur, Marilyn Maye, and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, guitarist Rod Fleeman has released his first album as a leader. Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge captures Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits, and drummer Todd Strait performing a set of original material at Kansas City’s most popular jazz venue.
*From a press release: Jazz/Punk Raconteur Mike Dillon & Punkadelick are on tour, performing locally for a CD Release Party at The Brick, Wednesday, January 4… Punkadelic is a trio featuring Mike Dillon (Ricki Lee Jones, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool) on vibraphone, marimba, Prophet 6, congas, and bongos; Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) on Fender Rhodes, piano, bass Moog and melodica; and Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce) on drums, cymbals and vocals.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra has released a new version of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” featuring vocalist Eboni Fondren.
*Craig Aker, a notable figure in the music community of Columbia, Missouri, is featured in The Maneater.
*Tweet of the Week: Aaron Bean- Doing my door guy thing tonight @GreenLadyLounge until 3am! Kansas City JAZZ at its finest.
*From a press release: Mike Dillon & Punkadelick have released "Pandas", the second single from their forthcoming album, Inflorescence, due January 27 on Royal Potato Family… “In our minds, Led Zeppelin and Milt Jackson, Parliament-Funkadelic and The Minutemen, The Bad Brains and Frank Zappa are interconnected," says Mike Dillon. "All that comes together in how we approach instrumental creative music. Punk rock, funk and jazz are not prefab things, they're about freedom. We have no genre restriction in this band..."
Original image of J.D. Allen, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits at the Blue Room by Plastic Sax.
I caught several dozen jazz performances in an unsettling year characterized by starts and stops. With a literal sense of danger in the air, each outing felt vital. The listing my favorite jazz-based performances in the Kansas City area includes a jaunt to Columbia for an essential bout of free jazz and a trek to Detroit to catch a Lee’s Summit native who no longer performs in his old stomping grounds.
1. J.D. Allen, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits- Blue Room
2. Pat Metheny, James Francies and Joe Dyson- Orchestra Hall (Detroit)
3. Irreversible Entanglements- Stephens Lake Park Amphitheatre (Columbia)
4. Bird Fleming and Bill Summers’ “Voyage of the Drum”- Dunbar Park
5. Rod Fleeman- Green Lady Lounge
6. Eddie Moore, Ryan J. Lee and Zach Morrow- Charlotte Street Foundation
7. Thollem McDonas- 9th and State
8. Jeff Kaiser, Kevin Cheli and Seth Davis- Charlotte Street Foundation
9. Mike Dillon and Nikki Glaspie- 1900 Building
10. Second Nature Ensemble- Westport Coffee House
Lists of the top albums of 2021 are here. Links to similar annual top-show surveys for the past 11 years begin here.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
The duo of Mike Dillon and Nikki Glaspie operated as a miniature drumline at the 1900 Building on Thursday, June 10. A few dozen people heard the audaciously unconventional percussionists perform uncharacteristically restrained cadences. Dillon is a longtime jazz insurrectionary. Glaspie is best known for her robust work as a member of Beyoncé’s touring band. Material from Dillon’s four outstanding pandemic albums- reviewed enthusiastically at Plastic Sax here and here- dominated the setlist. A brief sample reflects the lighthearted tone of the 80-minute recital. Longtime fans hoping to hear old favorites weren’t entirely neglected. The duo stumbled through a version of the title track of Hairy Apes BMX’s 2000 album Out Demons. Dillon explained he hadn’t played the impertinent contrafact of “Salt Peanuts” in 15 years. Prioritizing the present rather than glorifying the past makes the future seem exceptionally bright for both intrepid musicians.
Nikki Glaspie jams with stars including keyboardist Robert Glasper in the embedded video. The powerhouse drummer collaborates with Mike Dillon at the 1900 Building on Thursday, June 9.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
I treated a minor setback like a major calamity yesterday. I’d long considered the ticketed performance by Mike Dillon and Brian Haas at Raj Ma Hall on Saturday, May 22, as my proper reintroduction to live music. The outdoor show at the listening-oriented venue featured two favorite musicians. I took it hard when my precious scheme was foiled due to inclement weather. Even though I’m fully vaccinated, I remain irrationally skittish about engaging with large, unmasked crowds. Indoor venues are still uninviting. Besides, interference from inattentive audiences is my pet peeve. The Raj Ma Hall show represented an optimal baby step in a gradual acclimation process. I’m now inclined to take the opposite tack. The Chicago rapper Lil Durk is slated to perform at a notoriously sketchy venue a few miles from my home this week. I just might pull the trigger.
Mike Dillon, the peripatetic musician who has long shuttled between Kansas City and New Orleans, released four albums during last year’s lockdown. His hushed instrumental effort Rosebud was Plastic Sax’s #3 Kansas City Jazz Album of 2020. The other albums- Shoot the Moon, 1918 and Suitcase Man- are substantially rowdier.
The incoherently political and decidedly druggy Shoot the Moon is credited to Mike Dillon and Punkadelic. The musicians channel an unfiltered id component of Tom Waits’ brain. “Apocalyptic Daydreams” sounds like a doomsday collaboration between Isaac Hayes and Steve Reich. The heretical “Open Up” is a grown-up version of the controversial Lil Nas X hit “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).” The accomplished trumpeter Nicholas Payton contributes astringent textures to “What Tony Says.”
1918 is tailored to fans favoring the jam-band side of Dillon’s repertoire. He often shares stages with the likes of Galactic, Karl Denson and Garage A Trois. “Pelagic” is a dance floor groove for end times. “Quarantine Booty Call” reflects the album’s pervading sense of pent-up frustration while “Super Spreader” sounds like a meth-era version of Bobby Hutcherson.
Dillon’s gruff vocals on Suitcase Man dominate the nine concise and economical tracks he crafted with the Bad Decisions. He growls about childhood trauma on “Tiny Pink Asses” and laments life on the road on “989 Miles” and the title track. The late-night, bad-trip atmosphere of Suitcase Man is recommended to fans of outsider art-rock artists like Captain Beefheart, Roky Erickson and Elliott Smith.
Recordings can’t capture the whirlwind aspect of Dillon’s performances. The manic energy, extreme volume and incorrigible personality he exhibits on stage makes the serene Rosebud all the more remarkable. Rosebud may be the superior album, but all four projects affirm Dillon’s standing as one of Kansas City’s most audaciously distinctive artists.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Logan Richardson recommends “six albums of endless transformative influence” at the conclusion of an interview with Chris May.
*Gambit checks in with Mike Dillon.
*Tweet of the Week: American Jazz Museum- We've experienced a deep loss in the jazz community, and this one breaks our heart. On Friday, March 6th, Kansas City keyboardist/saxophonist Joe Miquelon passed away. He was in many music ensembles in addition to being an instructor in our Kansas City Jazz Academy program.
*The man behind Plastic Sax has a new podcast. The first episode of In My Headache includes a discussion of the latest album by the Robert Glasper-led band R+R=Now.
*From KCUR: We're so excited to let you know about our new show! Hermon Mehari, world-renowned jazz musician from the Kansas City area, is bringing his voice and record collection to KCUR's airwaves. The Session with Hermon Mehari is an hour long show that will feature jazz, hip-hop, soul, R&B and beyond. In each episode, Hermon will explore the musical roots of the African diaspora with a curated playlist of songs that influence and inspire him. Jazz fans will feel at home, and the "jazz curious" feel invited. The Session will premiere this Saturday, March 13, at 7 p.m. on KCUR 89.3 We hope you'll tune in!
The energetic Kansas City based multi-instrumentalist Mike Dillon is joined by pianist Brian Haas and bassist James Singleton in the embedded video. Additional information about the benefit performance is here.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Lonnie McFadden promotes Lonnie’s Reno Club at Kansas City magazine.
*Tweet of the Week: Peter Sokolowski- RIP to the great big-band arranger/composer Sammy Nestico, who wrote many albums for Count Basie and charts for Sinatra and nearly every other singer who can swing.
*From a press release: ...Recently relocating to Kansas City after spending 15 years in New Orleans, (Mike) Dillon and producer Chad Meise would track a trilogy of albums: 'Shoot The Moon,' 'Suitcase Man' and '1918.' In collaboration with his longtime record label Royal Potato Family, they would offer the records exclusively via Bandcamp just days after they were mixed and mastered. In 2021, those albums now receive the full vinyl treatment, as well as complete digital release across all streaming outlets.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Kansas City Star acknowledges the "short shrift" The Star and The Times gave to Kansas City jazz giants including Charlie Parker during the city’s jazz heyday.
*KCUR’s Gina Kauffman relates the story of the creation of Andrea Lewis’ new Christmas album.
*I shared tracks by Mike Dillon and Flutienastiness on an episode of Eight One Sixty on 90.9 The Bridge.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Chris Burnett and Bill Crain.
*Ça Va, a Kansas City establishment that often hosted live jazz, has closed.
*Tweet of the Week: Mayor Q- While we talk reconciliation here, also note something The Star mentioned as an oversight—not telling the positive stories of the Black experience in Kansas City over a decades. To share and repeat a tale of pain alone is to miss the greatness of our community.
Original image by Plastic Sax.
The pandemic failed to forestall a strong slate of new albums by Kansas City’s jazz musicians. A ranking of the year’s top live performances is missing for sadly obvious reasons.
Favorite Albums by Kansas City Artists
1. Bobby Watson- Keepin' It Real (My review.)
2. Molly Hammer- I'm Feeling Mellow
3. Mike Dillon- Rosewood (My review.)
4. Steve Cardenas- Blue Has a Range (My review.)
5. Pat Metheny- From This Place (My review.)
6. Brian Scarborough- Sunflower Song (My review.)
7. Guitar Elation- Double Live at Green Lady Lounge (My review.)
8. Matt Otto- Alliance (My review.)
9. Flutienastiness- This Is Me (My review.)
10. Purna Loka Ensemble- Metaraga
Favorite Albums by Artists From Elsewhere
1. Jyoti- Mama, You Can Bet!
2. Jennifer Curtis and Tyshawn Sorey- Invisible Ritual
3. Ambrose Akinmusire- On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment
4. Bill Frisell- Valentine
5. Kaja Draksler Octet- Out For Stars
6. Jeremy Pelt- The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1
7. Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell- How to Turn the Moon
8. Sara Serpa- Recognition
9. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Hero Trio
10. Brad Mehldau- Suite: April 2020
I conducted the same exercise at Plastic Sax the each of the last ten years. Expanded rankings of my favorite albums of 2020 by Kansas City musicians are published at my nondenominational music site There Stands the Glass.