All Night Trio may be Kansas City’s best band. The wavy convergence of Matt Villinger, Peter Schlamb and Zach Morrow applies elite jazz chops to funky electro-pop. What could be better? Why, the addition of Hermon Mehari, of course! The trumpeter appears on “Echo Cycle,” the second track on the new album Yeah Sun. The gloriously woozy title track is a worthy follow-up to All Night Trio’s 2022 banger "All Faded". “The Next Gen” is centered on Morrow’s uplifting rap. The title of “Thunder Step” seems to be a nod to the crossover star Thundercat. A thirty-minute party, Yeah Sun is contemporary club music for people who collect Bobby Timmons records on vinyl.
Kansas City Cachet
Original image by Plastic Sax.
The most compelling jazz has always been rebellious, adventurous and innovative. Yet a debilitating perception pervasive in Kansas City and beyond posits jazz as a moldering art form best applied as relaxing background music.
The refutation of this notion is among the reasons I treat the annual publication of the Francis Davis Jazz Poll and the El Intruso’s Periodistas Internacionales jazz poll as a holiday. Sifting through the data published January 10 is a powerful affirmation of the artistic vitality of jazz.
I’m honored to be consulted in the enterprises. Sunny Five’s caustic Candid is my selection for the top album in both polls. The attack of the avant-garde all-stars aligns with my ongoing affinity for punk rock. The improvisatory onslaught was all too necessary in 2024.
The polls can be used as barometers of Kansas City’s current stature in the jazz universe. The 19th Annual Francis Davis Jazz Poll focuses on recordings. Six of the approximately 600 albums released in 2024 receiving votes are connected to the Kansas City area.
Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols, an exquisite trio recording featuring Kansas City guitarist Steve Cardenas, came in at #67. Pat Metheny’s solo guitar statement Moodial finished at #70. Charles McPherson’s excellent Reverence is ranked #107.
In a separate vocal category, Betty Bryant’s delightful Lotta Livin’ is graded at #16. Although attention was lavished on it locally, the latest archival Charlie Parker release Bird in Kansas City placed at a humble #24 in the reissue division. I gave it a nod on my ballot.
Where the Francis Davis poll is open to critics favoring both conventional and anarchic styles, El Intruso’s 17th Annual International Critics Poll 2024 is intended to reward “creative music, jazz and beyond, free improvisation, art-rock, and experimental music.”
Albums are just one of many classifications at stake in El Intruso’s referendum. No Kansas City musicians were among the finalists in any section, but Seth Andrew Davis, Marvin Gruenbaum, Pat Metheny, Aryana Nemati and Peter Schlamb were recognized.
Amusingly, El Intruso puts faces to the names of voters. Anyone who has imagined what a typical jazz critic looks like will have their suspicions confirmed as they scroll through the individual selections of the electors. A goofy photo antithetical to the spirit of rebellion accompanies the ballot of the man responsible for Plastic Sax.
The Top Performances of 2024
Original image of Seth Davis, Kwan Leung Ling, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verploegh at 7th Heaven by Plastic Sax.
The Top Jazz Performances of 2024 by Kansas City Musicians
1. Peter Schlamb at the Ship
Plastic Sax review.
2. Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s Bridge at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram clip.
3. Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s Heliophonie at Charlotte Street Foundation
Plastic Sax review.
4. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
Plastic Sax review.
5. WireTown at Green Lady Lounge
Instagram clip.
6. Seth Davis, Kwan Leung Ling, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verploegh at 7th Heaven
Instagram clip.
7. Jackie Myers, Matt Otto and Bob Bowman at the Market at Meadowbrook
Instagram snapshot.
8. Alber at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram snapshot.
9. Ernest Melton, Parker Woolworth, Jordan Faught and Jalen Ward at In the Lowest Ferns
Plastic Sax review.
10. Rod Fleeman Trio at Green Lady Lounge
Instagram clip.
The Top Performances of 2024 by Touring Musicians
1. Makaya McCraven at Liberty Hall
Plastic Sax review.
2. Trond Kallevåg at the Folk Alliance International Conference
Instagram clip.
3. David Lord at Farewell
Plastic Sax review.
4. Willow at the T-Mobile Center
There Stands the Glass review.
5. Trap Jazz at Concourse Park
Instagram clip.
6. Mike Baggetta and Peter DiStefano at the Ship
There Stands the Glass review.
7. Damon Smith at Westport Coffee House
Instagram clip.
8. Phill Smith and Kyle Jessen at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram clip.
9. Síomha at the Kansas City Irish Festival
Instagram clip.
10. David Menestres at the Bunker Center for the Arts
Instagram snapshot.
Last year’s survey is here.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Joe Dimino interviewed Stan Kessler and Matt Otto.
*The man behind Plastic Sax shared music by Betty Bryant, Pat Metheny and Peter Schlamb on KKFI’s Wednesday MidDay Medley program last week.
Jazz Night in Kansas City (Is Every Night)
Original image of Ernest Melton at In the Lowest Ferns by Plastic Sax.
Attending performances by locally based jazz musicians is what I miss most about Kansas City while traveling. While I regularly take advantage of high-profile concerts by cutting-edge improvisers who rarely appear in Kansas City in my destinations, few locales match the depth of artistry showcased nightly in the Kansas City area.
Following a trip to the tropics, I caught up with a portion of the embarrassment of riches on Thursday, November 15. My outing began at the Music House School of Music in Prairie Village. The storied trumpeter Stan Kessler joined the house band of guitarist Aaron Sizemore, bassist Forest Stewart and drummer Michael Warren.
Sizemore tends to incorporate European innovations of recent decades into his sound, a disposition that differentiates him from his peers in Kansas City. The singularity didn’t make an impression on harried music students on strict schedules at the busy facility. The small audience at Thursday’s no-cover event consisted of the usual suspects. A video of the concert streams here.
In the Lowest Ferns couldn’t be more different. The West Bottoms club specializing in electronic dance music occasionally hosts jazz musicians. About 25 fashion-conscious people paid a $15 cover charge to take in the first set by saxophonist Ernest Melton, keyboardist Parker Woolworth, bassist Jordan Faught and drummer Jaylen Ward. The quartet’s spiritual soul-jazz was enhanced by a fog machine.
Two blocks away, Peter Schlamb unveiled an instrument he described as his “new toy” in a free show at The Ship. The slippery tones of the MalletKAT added another weapon to the vibraphonist’s formidable arsenal. The high-energy improvisations of Schlamb, saxophonist Matt Otto, keyboardist Matt Villinger, bassist Sebastian Arias and drummer Zach Morrow were stunning.
In an act that felt like a cultural misdemeanor, the two eldest people among the audience of 20 left at the conclusion of the first set at 10:15 p.m. I nodded in agreement when a savvy old head suggested “that’s the best band in Kansas City” as we shuffled to the door. For me, Shlamb’s electric band sounds like home.
The Top 25 Kansas City Jazz Albums of the Past 25 Years
Despite enduring constant turbulence during the first 25 years of the new millennium, Kansas City’s jazz musicians never ceased creating timeless art. The following list highlights a fraction of the vital recordings released since 2000. The recency bias on display reflects Plastic Sax’s founding in 2007 as well as the uptick in the quantity and quality of releases in recent years. A corresponding non-jazz albums ranking is here.
1. Peter Schlamb- Tinks (2004)
2. Logan Richardson- Shift (2016)
3. Bobby Watson- Back Home in Kansas City (2022)
4. Hermon Mehari- Asmara (2022)
5. Bob Bowman- Songs for Sandra (2014)
6. Pat Metheny- Orchestrion (2010)
7. Ahmad Alaadeen- And the Beauty of It All (ASR 2007)
8. Karrin Allyson- Imagina: Songs of Brasil (2008)
9. Steve Cardenas- Panoramic (2002)
10. Mike Dillon- Inflorescence (2023)
11. Deborah Brown- Songbird (2003)
12. Adam Larson- With Love, From Kansas City (2022)
13. Myra Taylor- My Night to Dream (2001)
14. Matt Otto and Ensemble Ibérica- Ibérica (2017)
15. The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City- The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City (2010)
16. Kevin Mahogany- Pride & Joy (2002)
17. Micah Herman- The Ship, Vol. 1: The Studio Sessions (2011)
18. EMAS Quartet- EMS (2022)
19. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- Kings & Queens (2016)
20. Rod Fleeman Trio- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3 (2024)
21. Alaturka- Tamam Abi (2010)
22. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin' (2024)
23. Everette DeVan- For the Love of You (2014)
24. Gregory Hickman-Williams- Passages (2006)
25. Marcus Lewis Big Band- Brass and Boujee (2018)
Album Review: Peter Schlamb- Pliable Consciousness
The jazz community in Kansas City is a victim of negligence. Although it was released in February, Plastic Sax only recently stumbled upon Pliable Consciousness, the latest missive from Peter Schlamb. The excellence of the 22-minute recording compounds the oversight.
The vibraphonist, composer and bandleader has perfected the distinctive approach first documented on Tinks in 2014. The production of Pliable Consciousness is crisper and the guest artists- Hermon Mehari, Mike Moreno and Logan Richardson- are even more inspiring.
Schlamb has long been indifferent to self-promotion. Even so, managing to keep the superlative Pliable Consciousness a secret is a feat. The fact that Pliable Consciousness hasn’t received a smidgen of notice elsewhere doesn’t excuse Plastic Sax’s failure to keep tabs on one of Kansas City’s preeminent artists. I apologize.
Album Review: Brandon Draper Quintet- Live at Jardines
Jardines once dominated Kansas City’s jazz scene. The club just beyond the northeast corner of the Country Club Plaza hosted touring and locally based jazz musicians prior to its messy closure in 2011.
My fondest memories include multiple performances by Karrin Allyson, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Marilyn Maye and Saturday afternoon jam sessions hosted by Tommy Ruskin. Getting scolded by Sara Gazarek when my flip phone rang during a ballad and challenging an adversary to a fistfight at the venue are among my less pleasant recollections.
The venue regularly hosted shows overseen by Kansas City’s young lions including keyboardist Mark Lowrey and drummer Brandon Draper. The latter musician recently released excerpts of recordings made at Jardines in 2010.
The 78-minute album features Draper with trombonist Kevin Cerovich, saxophonist Rich Wheeler, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb and bassist Craig Akin. Imbued with the giddy energy of young improvisors coming into their own, Live at Jardines is a vital blast from the past.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*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.
Concert Review: The Hermon Mehari Quartet at the Folly Theater
Original image by Plastic Sax.
Citywide celebrations following the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory in the Super Bowl earlier this month included school cancellations and a parade. Yet the sense of joy throughout Hermon Mehari’s concert at the Folly Theater on Saturday, February 18, may have been an even truer expression of hometown pride.
The evening possessed the giddiness of a high school dance at which Mehari had been elected prom king. The musician’s personal friends seemed to outnumber committed jazz enthusiasts among the more than 600 celebrants. All the better. Monitoring newcomers’ awestruck reactions to Mehari’s outstanding band underscored the excitement.
Even though he didn’t play the electric vibraphone that’s his most distinctive instrument, Peter Schlamb’s statements on piano and acoustic vibraphone were characteristically stupendous. An evocation of McCoy Tyner in a thunderous solo on “Anthem for Independence” awed the unsuspecting audience.
The tactful bassist Rick Rosato was paired with the muscular drummer Zach Morrow. The tandem elevated Mehari’s demonstrative solo on “All Alone” and tenderly accentuated the leader’s gorgeous trumpet work on “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”
Mehari’s stellar musicianship was matched by his dazzling repertoire. Many of the memorable compositions he and Schlamb have written are admirably unconventional. Explaining that he “dived into my Eritrean heritage” for the 2022 album Asmara, Mehari has clearly come into his own while living in France the past several years.
Mehari told his admirers that while he enjoys life in Paris, Kansas City is never far from his mind. “When I’m there I like to represent Kansas City, he said. “I’m not here, but I’m with you.” That sense of loyalty- along with his prodigious talent- made Mehari’s appearance in the Folly Jazz Series a heartwarming homecoming.
Set list: Call Me Habesha, Tatra, Melsi, All Alone, A Conversation with My Uncle, Eritrea, Anthem for Independence, Call Me Habesha, If I Were a Bell, Awakening, Soul Chant, I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face, Tenafaquit, Shenandoah
Plastic Sax's Favorite Performances of 2022
Original image of Bob Bowman and Peter Schlamb by Plastic Sax.
Top Performances by Kansas City Artists
1. Logan Richardson + Blues People at the Ship
2. Adam Larson, Clark Sommers and Dana Hall at Westport Coffee House
3. Black Crack Revue at Westport Coffee House
4. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at recordBar
5. Arnold Young and the RoughTet at the Ship
6. Bob Bowman and Peter Schlamb at Second Presbyterian Church
7. Evan Verplough and Ben Baker at World Culture KC
8. Rod Fleeman at Green Lady Lounge
9. Alter Destiny at Charlotte Street Foundation
10. Drew Williams, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
Top Performances by Artists from Elsewhere
1. Nduduzo Makhathini at the Blue Room
2. Ohma at the Midland theater
3. Livia Nestrovski and Henrique Eisenmann at the 1900 Building
4. High Pulp at recordBar
5. Phillip Greenlief at Bushranger Records
6. Terence Blanchard at Atkins Auditorium
7. Keefe Jackson, Jakob Heinemann and Adam Shead at Black Dolphin
8. Esthesis Quartet at the Blue Room
9. Kind Folk at the Black Box
10. Bill Summers and Forward Back at Dunbar Park
Album Review: Hermon Mehari- Asmara
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the quarterback and tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, are among the most celebrated duos in sports. Their astounding athleticism and apparent telepathic bond has led their professional football team to dozens of wins including a Super Bowl championship in 2019.
Hermon Mehari and Peter Schlamb, the trumpeter and vibraphonist/pianist who made names for themselves in Kansas City during the same era, are a similarly unstoppable force in improvised music. Their collaboration on Mehari’s new album Asmara is nothing short of triumphant.
“I Remember Eritrea,” a duet between Schlamb and Mehari, showcases their sublime compatibility. They’re joined by bassist Luca Fattorini and drummer Gautier Garrigue on the remainder of the tracks on the 35-minute album recorded in Paris. The wonderfully scratchy vocals of Faytinga augment “Tenafaqit” and “Milobe Lawa Furda.”
“Soul Chant” possesses the spirituality associated with South African pianist Nduduzo Makhathini. Schlamb and Mehari’s stupendous solos on the uplifting “Anthem for Independence” also serve notice they’re among jazz’s most imposing young improvisors. As with Mahones and Kelce, all they do is win.
Album Review: The Adam Larson Trio- With Love, From Kansas City
With Love, From Chicago, the album the Kansas City based saxophonist Adam Larson released in February, is outstanding. Good news: the followup With Love, From Kansas City is its equal.
The Kansas City based tandem of bassist Ben Leifer and drummer John Kizilarmut is as formidable as the rhythm section of Clark Sommers and Dana Hall featured on With Love, From Chicago.
On both alto and tenor, Larson’s tone possesses the impact of a pair of brass knuckles. Packed with swagger, the music made by the hard-charging trio crackles with energy.
“New Thread” sounds like an instant classic. An inventive take on Peter Shlamb’s “REL,” a recently minted Kansas City standard, is wonderful. A ferocious attack on Charlie Parker’s “Chi-Chi” is even more exciting.
Thousands of people recently celebrated the 102nd birthday of Parker by revisiting Bird’s recordings. Listening to Larson’s phenomenal new albums may be an even better way to acknowledge Parker’s legacy.
Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes
Original image by Plastic Sax.
*Kansas City’s YouTube channel includes a new video feature about the Spotlight Charlie Parker initiative. Related videos are here, here and here.
*Anita Dixon and Jakob Wagner lobby for additional arts spending in a television news feature.
*The author of Plastic Sax reviewed a performance by Bob Bowman and Peter Schlamb at his nondenominational music blog.
*A television station filed a report from the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Harlem last weekend.
*Tweet of the Week: Pat Metheny- New Album 'SHIFT (Bad Hombre, Vol. II)' from the great @AntonioDrumsX Available Now! "Eh Hee 2.0" featuring Pat and Dave Matthews Buy CD/ Vinyl/ Stream here
*From a press release: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra… announced the inaugural concert for the 2022-2023 20th Anniversary season, The Horn, featuring guest artist Sean Jones, Friday, September 30 at 8 p.m. at… Helzberg Hall… Artistic Director Clint Ashlock stated “… the centerpiece of the concert will be the majestic, soulful artistry of Sean Jones - arguably the world’s greatest trumpet player."
Album Review: Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio- All Faded
The most vital sounds emanating from Kansas City occur when Peter Schlamb goes goblin mode on electric vibraphone. “Eternal Dollars,” the standout track on All Night Trio’s new album All Faded, is a prime example of the phenomenon. Following an admirable solo by guest trumpeter Herman Mehari, Schlamb makes a stupendously gonzo statement. Propelled by Matt Villinger (keyboards, vocals) and Zach Morrow (drums, vocals), Schlamb repeatedly demonstrates why he’s one of the most exciting young talents in improvised music. While nothing else is as indispensable as “Eternal Dollars,” All Faded is loaded with wavy grooves. The title track and “Hazeology” are low-key party songs. Subtler instrumental tracks including “Benny” and “Slow Jam” are even more intoxicating.
Pitch Imperfect
Original image by Plastic Sax.
The introduction of The Pitch’s new music issue suggests “the entirety of KC’s music scene is jazz-incarnate.” Yet not one of the more than two dozen acts featured in the publication’s overview performs improvised music. The staff of The Pitch is free to apply its editorial discretion as it sees fit. Yet the snub is consistent with the systematic disregard of jazz in Kansas City. Neglecting the robust contributions of current innovators such as Seth Davis, Kelley Gant, Adam Larson, Eddie Moore, Logan Richardson, Peter Schlamb and Evan Verplough is the latest example of the ongoing erasure of jazz by the city’s conventional powerbrokers.
Now’s the Time: All Night Trio
All Night Trio, Matt Villinger’s jazz-adjacent band, performs at the Blue Room on Friday, July 8. The embedded music video for the wavy “All Faded” features cameo appearances by the Kansas City musicians Stephen Martin and Peter Schlamb.
Concert Review: Logan Richardson + Blues People at the Ship
Original image by Plastic Sax.
A perceptible anomaly prior to the homecoming concert of Logan Richardson + Blues People at the Ship on Thursday, May 19, indicated the evening would be memorable. The five musicians swaggered with confidence while socializing in a recently opened annex of the venue at which more than 100 revelers paid a $10 cover charge. Gloating is uncommon among Kansas City jazz musicians.
The men backed up their bold dispositions with a correspondingly towering 80-minute performance. Unapologetically loud and abrasive, the quintet exhibited a remarkable rapport strengthened during a tour that included a five-night stand at New York City’s jazz shrine the Village Vanguard. The potency of the outing was hardly a surprise.
Richardson, Plastic Sax’s 2019 Person of the Year, and vibraphonist/keyboardist Peter Schlamb, Plastic Sax’s 2018 Person of the Year, are arguably Kansas City’s most exciting musicians. They brought out the best in each other. The metal-edged guitarist Igor Osypov, the inventive bassist Dominique Sanders and the thrilling young drummer Nazir Ebo are also standout musicians.
The voice Richardson expresses through his saxophone attack, distinctive compositions and decisive bandleading skill has never been more eloquent. In a heartfelt soliloquy, he name-checked Kansas City jazz forebears including Ahmad Alaadeen, Jay McShann, Eddie Saunders and Claude Williams. Richardson’s bold innovations and rightful self-assurance honor their legacies.
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: The All Night Trio
People look at me as if I’m speaking gibberish every time I say Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio is among my favorite bands in Kansas City. The limited awareness of the outstanding group is reprehensible. I’m posting this extended video documentation of the vital collaboration between Villinger, Peter Schlamb and Zach Morrow as a public service.