Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*Brian Baggett and Ken Lovern discuss Baggett’s forthcoming album in a promotional video.

*The Kansas City debut of the Los Angeles duo Ohma is reviewed at There Stands the Glass.

*Bobby Watson promoted a concert in Schenectady in a candid interview with a correspondent for Albany’s The Times-Union.

*Jazzwise considers the sound of Britain’s Big Band Metheny ensemble.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Morgan Faw and shared clips of performances by the Greg Meise Trio, Lisa Henry and the Hannover Big Band.

*Tweet of the Week: Midwest Music Foundation- JUST ANNOUNCED! Check out the official lineup for Apocalypse Meow, Nov 5th at the @recordBar, ft. Eddie Moore, MellowPhobia, The Electric Lungs, purextc, and Nathan Corsi and My Atomic Daydream! Grab tickets: (link) #apocalypsemeow #abbysfund

*From a press release: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Executive Director Lea Petrie today announced the next concert for the 2022-2023 20th Anniversary season, The Voice featuring guest artist Deborah Brown, Thursday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at … Helzberg Hall… Brown is one of many American jazz performers who found her greatest fame and recognition overseas rather than in the U.S.

Album Review: Morgan Faw and the Flame- It Takes a Village

A pair of antithetical incidents involving Kansas City’s first family of jazz took place during Morgan Faw and the Flame’s album release show at the Blue Room on Monday, August 22.  A guest appearance by Bobby Watson was- as is invariably the case- absolutely stupendous.

The lowlight of the evening was heartbreaking.  An interpretation of Pamela Baskin-Watson’s composition “The Love We Had Yesterday” was spoiled by a buffoon who drowned out the tender ballad with oblivious yapping.  Baskin-Watson was among the members of the audience of about 100 frustrated by the dullard.

The Watsons were among the many instructors, friends and family amid the festive audience of more than 100 that Faw thanked during an evening characterized by good cheer and reverence for tradition.  (The performance was a central component of this year’s Spotlight: Charlie Parker initiative.)

Faw’s debut album It Takes a Village is filled with conventional hard bop tracks designed to please the saxophonist’s old-school mentors. Faw is joined by trumpeter Will Mallard, pianist Ebba Dankel, bassist Isaac Coyle and drummer Christian Napoleon on the project. It’s a brisk first step toward a promising destination.

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

*The young musicians Morgan Faw and Houston Smith  shared their admiration of Charlie Parker with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up To Date.

*Steve Hargrave promoted the Spotlight: Charlie Parker initiative on a television program and in an interview with Joe Dimino.

*Arnold Young chatted with Joe Dimino.

*Tweet of the Week: James Neal- "Kansas City Public Library helps to memorialize Parker’s genius through the official Charlie Parker website, http://CharlieParkersKC.org, on which its Digital Branch collaborated with KC Jazz ALIVE and Marr Sound Archives Director Chuck Haddix." @KCLibrary

*From a press release: Saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa makes a highly anticipated Smoke Jazz Club debut performing music inspired by and celebrating the great Charlie Parker… His recent, highly acclaimed release Hero Trio features more explorations of Parker’s compositions in the context of a piano-less trio... His exciting trio for this celebration features bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Rudy Royston.

Now’s the Time: Morgan Faw

Morgan Faw will showcase material from his new album It Takes a Village at the Blue Room on Monday, August 22. The saxophonist performs with the James Ward Band in the embedded video. Faw will return to the Blue Room alongside Houston Smith on Friday, August 26, in a concert billed as “Ode to Bird.”