*Musicians at the Mutual Musicians Foundation are included in an ArtsKC video roundup.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
KC’s Cup Runneth Over
Original image by Plastic Sax.
England’s national football team has taken over a hotel complex that houses my favorite neighborhood café. I’ll try not to hold the inconvenience against the squad during the World Cup this summer. The following guide is designed to inspire athletes and affiliates of Three Lions to break away from their base in Prairie Village for a sampling of Kansas City’s jazz scene. I’ve created four itineraries wheeled around venues unique to Kansas City. Several good rooms aren’t mentioned, and it’s worth noting that catching elite musicians in a lousy setting is preferable to hearing unexceptional artists in an excellent room. Start here if you’re looking for a list of Kansas City’s most accomplished jazz musicians.
Itinerary #1: Mutual Musicians Foundation
The modest appearance of The Mutual Musicians Foundation (1823 Highland Avenue) belies its importance. The site is the most authentic link to Kansas City’s jazz heyday. Hitting the 1:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. weekend jam sessions is a rite of passage. Night owls can pre-game at The Blue Room (1600 E. 18th Street), a music venue operated by The American Jazz Museum.
Itinerary #2: Knuckleheads
Jazz bands rarely perform at Kansas City’s best music venue. The blues, country and roots-rock oriented Knuckleheads (2715 Rochester Avenue; rideshare recommended) should be on the itinerary of jazz fans anyway. The J. Rieger & Co. distillery is a short but perilous walk across the train tracks.
Itinerary #3: Black Dolphin/Green Lady Lounge
Kansas City’s premier jazz club Green Lady Lounge (1809 Grand Boulevard) is temporarily closed due to fire damage. Its similarly swanky sister club Black Dolphin (1813 Grand Boulevard) features live jazz seven nights a week. Ted’s Taproom (1829 McGee Street) is strategically located nearby. The old-school showman Lonnie McFadden is the featured entertainer seven blocks away at Lonnie's Reno Club (1111 Grand Boulevard).
Itinerary #4: The Ship
Located in the Stockyards District, The Ship (1221 Union Avenue; rideshare recommended) offers live jazz on Thursdays. Plenty of cocktail lounges are promoted as throwbacks to the speakeasy era, but the Ship is the real deal. Youthful hipsters congregate at the nearby In the Lowest Ferns (1105 Hickory Street), a space specializing in underground dance music. The outdoor concert venue Lemonade Park is several blocks south of the Ship.
Don’t trust me? Try these alternatives:
*FIFA recommends Green Lady Lounge and the Blue Room.
*Kansas City’s official guide suggests the town is home to “more than 40 jazz and fine-dining venues.”
*A British tabloid namechecks Green Lady Lounge and Prairie Village.
*Scuzzy pop-up ads aside, a soccer-themed guide is worth a look.
Now’s the Time: The Count Basie Orchestra and Keyon Harrold
Old school or new school? That’s the decision facing celebrants of International Jazz Day in Kansas City on Thursday, April 30. Traditionalists are likely to favor The Count Basie Orchestra in the big band’s return to the Music Hall. Keyon Harrold, a trumpeter who integrates hip-hop and R&B into his jazz-based music, headlines an event overseen by the Mutual Musicians Foundation. The host promises attendees will join “a curated audience of creatives, professionals, tastemakers, and culture leaders.”
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Joyce Smith highlighted Gerald Dunn’s barbecue restaurant for Startland News.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Jeff Shirley.
*A Houston publication’s guide to Kansas City references the Mutual Musicians Foundation and Green Lady Lounge.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Doreen Maronde, a longtime Kansas City jazz advocate, is the subject of a lovely video profile created by Lakeview Village.
*Larry Kopitnik and James McGee considered the history of the Mutual Musicians Foundation with Steve Kraske on KCUR’s Up to Date program.
*The American Jazz Museum, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and KC Jazz Alive are among the recipients of grants from Kansas City, Missouri’s Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.
*The Kansas City Star amplified the American Jazz Museum’s current talking points.
*I tried and failed. Again. Kansas City isn’t represented among the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2022 Winners for Jazz Performance and Recordings.
*Tweet of the Week: Luke X. Martin- Mingus Big Band at the @ajazzmuseumKC's Gem Theater on International Jazz Day. Y'all missed a great show, #KansasCity!
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Herbie Hancock, Robert Glasper, Thundercat and The Comet is Coming are among the jazz and jazz-adjacent artists performing at the inaugural Format Festival in Bentonville, Arkansas, in September.
*Drew Williams created an enhanced performance video filmed during his trio’s recent appearance at Westport Coffee House.
*A local television station reported on high school band performances at the Gem Theater.
*Joe Dimino shared a taste of a Preston Portley show at the Blue Room. He also interviewed Miguel de Leon, Alyssa Murray and Anita Dixon and Robert Farmer.
*The author of this site lists his favorite albums, songs and performances of April at There Stands the Glass.
*Tweet of the Week: Pat Metheny- Exciting Side-Eye News We are thrilled to welcome a fantastic new player to the ongoing evolution of Pat's Side-Eye project. 24-year-old keyboard phenom Chris Fishman will be featured on the upcoming European tour (tour date graphic)
*From the Mutual Musicians Foundation: On Saturday, April 30 members will host an Open House to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the Mutual Musicians Foundation— the oldest jazz house in the world. The event, which coincides with International Jazz Day, will celebrate the history of the Foundation and its contributions to the art form. The general public is invited to sit in on live jam sessions, learn about upcoming events for the year-long tribute and the relaunch of KOJH; the Foundation's community radio station. (9:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.)
Now's the Time: Blair Bryant
The Kansas City bassist and bandleader Blair Bryant performs at an event in the Jazz District presented by the American Jazz Walk of Fame on Saturday, July 3. The organization’s new inductees are the late Al Jarreau and the Mutual Musicians Foundation.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Kansas City magazine includes Black Dolphin, Green Lady Lounge and Mutual Musicians foundation in a clickbait listing of the city’s best bars.
*St. Louis Jazz Notes runs down Jazz St. Louis’ recently announced 2021-22 season.
*The Tulsa World published a lengthy examination of the depressing decline of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, an institution beset with “financial mismanagement and scandal.”
*Tweet of the Week: American Jazz Walk of Fame- We're back! Join us in one week.July 3rd, It's the annual American Jazz Walk of Fame. Music and Walk of Fame induction, Plus, this year it wraps with the big fireworks display! All on 18th & Vine.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Two recent Bobby Watson shows in Columbia, Missouri, stream on YouTube. The saxophonist performed with Roger Wilder at Murray’s. He also dedicated a virtual concert to children.
*Laura Spencer of KCUR checks in with Mark Lowrey.
*Gerald Dunn represents Kansas City at the 85-minute mark of a video honoring recipients of the Jazz Journalist Association’s Jazz Heroes awards.
*Podcast update: James McGee of the Mutual Musicians Foundation appeared on the Center Cuts podcast. The man behind Plastic Sax observes the 60th anniversary of Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz album on his In My Headache podcast.
*Tweet of the Week: Charlie Parker KC- Spring into the season with a fresh new look from Bird! Add this signature Blue Charlie Parker Tie to your wardrobe! GET YOURS TODAY!
*From a press release: Kansas City Area Youth Jazz has announced its 2021 Season Auditions for Fellowships will occur on Sunday, April 25th at BRC Audio Productions, studio A beginning at noon. 2021 Auditions are open to any youth jazz artist in high school or college. In addition to the strategic partnership and alliance with BRC Audio Productions, Kansas City Area Youth Jazz has partnered with The Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts to present its program model.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image of a persimmon by Plastic Sax.
*Scalawag, an initiative dedicated to “supporting Southern movement, community, & dissent,” published the provocative stories There Goes the Neighborhood: What Really Caused the Decline of 18th & Vine and The Mutual Musicians Foundation is Fighting the Gentrification of Jazz in Kansas City.
*Christian McBride, Bobby Watson and Chuck Haddix participated in a panel discussion inspired by the graphic novel Chasin’ The Bird: Charlie Parker In California.
*The Peter Schlamb Quartet’s December 6 performance at Murry’s in Columbia streams on YouTube.
*The American Jazz Museum’s Believe In: AJM event streams at YouTube.
*Whirlwind Recordings posted a trailer for Logan Richardson’s latest album.
*Hermon Mehari created a music video for “All Alone.”
*Tweet of the Week: Modern Recordings- A perfect Sunday-Morning track: "Road to the Sun Pt. 2" from the forthcoming Pat Metheny-album. (link)
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*The Kansas City vocalist Molly Hammer has died.
*Pat Metheny and Logan Richarson were recognized with Grammy nominations yesterday.
*Pat Metheny signed a deal with a new record label.
*Amber Underwood chatted with Joe Dimino.
*Tweet of the Week: Mutual Musicians KC- Big things in the works here at MMF. Stay tuned.
Confirmation: Weekly News & Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Brian Scarborough is featured in The Pitch.
*The legacy of the late LaVerne Barker is examined by Flatland.
*Jacob Wagner tells KCUR that “Kansas City's taken too long to recognize black creativity and African-American music that put us on the map” in a KCUR overview of Charlie Parker’s life.
*Aryana Nemati-Baghestani is interviewed by an in-house UMKC publication.
*The editorial board of The Kansas City Star ponders violence in the Jazz District.
*Bill Clinton is among the luminaries paying homage to Charlie Parker on the icon’s YouTube channel.
*Bret Primack interviewed Bobby Watson and Chuck Haddix.
*Joe Dimino documented a performance by five members of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. He also interviewed the participants.
*Alliance, a new album by Matt Otto, was released last week.
*The Mid-America Arts Alliance awarded $50,000 to the American Jazz Museum.
*A new mural adorns the exterior of the Mutual Musicians Foundation.
*Tweet o’ the Week: HypnoRaygun- Danny Embrey makes 99% of "real guitarists" look like beginners. He's unbelievable.
*From a press release: Due to restrictions imposed by Kansas City, MO and the CDC, and our concern for our patrons, staff, volunteers, crew, and artists, the Folly (Theater) has made some changes in our current Jazz Season. We have decided to postpone Karrin Allyson from October 17th to January 22. David Benoit will be moved to December 10th of 2021.
*From a press release: Craft Recordings is proud to announce the release of the compact disc edition of The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection. The collection, which spotlights Charlie Parker’s groundbreaking bebop sessions for the legendary jazz label (spanning 1944 to 1948), is already available on vinyl and digital formats. The CD edition features 28 tracks from the four legendary Savoy 10-inch LPs, presented with newly restored and remastered audio and a deluxe 20-page booklet… The compact disc edition… (is) set for a November 6th release date.