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Now’s the Time: Iver Cardas

April 3, 2025 William Brownlee

The Norwegian guitarist Iver Cardas will be joined by the top-tier Kansas City musicians Pete Fucinaro, Jeff Harshbarger and Ryan Lee at the Ship on Thursday, April 10.

Tags Kansas City, jazz, The Ship, Pete Fucinaro, Jeff Harshbarger, Ryan J. Lee

Confirmation: Weekly News and Notes

November 2, 2022 William Brownlee

Original image by Plastic Sax.

*A correspondent for The Boston Globe admired Green Lady Lounge.

*Nina Cherry interviewed Ryan J. Lee for The Pitch.

*Eddie Moore is among the musicians cited by Michelle Bacon in an NPR feature titled 8 Kansas City artists making a mark on their communities.

*Startland reported on the initiatives of musician and entrepreneur Tate Berry.

*Joe Dimino interviewed Brian Baggett and Brad Buckner.

*A Kansas City blogger includes plenty of jazz in a roundup of October’s best concerts and albums.

*Tweet of the Week: Cedric Feschotte- Work hard, play hard at #stuckonrepeat. Funk jazz chillin at @GreenLadyLoungewith @LandweberLab & @lohmueller (photo)

Tags Kansas City, jazz, Green Lady Lounge, Ryan J. Lee, Eddie Moore, Tate Berry, Brian Baggett, Brad Buckner

The Top Ten Jazz Performances of 2021

December 5, 2021 William Brownlee

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

Plastic Sax review.

2. Pat Metheny, James Francies and Joe Dyson- Orchestra Hall (Detroit)

Plastic Sax review.

3. Irreversible Entanglements- Stephens Lake Park Amphitheatre (Columbia)

Plastic Sax review.

4. Bird Fleming and Bill Summers’ “Voyage of the Drum”- Dunbar Park

Plastic Sax review.

5. Rod Fleeman- Green Lady Lounge

6. Eddie Moore, Ryan J. Lee and Zach Morrow- Charlotte Street Foundation

Plastic Sax review.

7. Thollem McDonas- 9th and State

Plastic Sax review.

8. Jeff Kaiser, Kevin Cheli and Seth Davis- Charlotte Street Foundation

Plastic Sax review.

9. Mike Dillon and Nikki Glaspie- 1900 Building

Plastic Sax review.

10. Second Nature Ensemble- Westport Coffee House

Plastic Sax review.


Lists of the top albums of 2021 are here. Links to similar annual top-show surveys for the past 11 years begin here.

Tags Kansas City, jazz, Blue Room, Pat Metheny, Bird Fleming, Rod Fleeman, Green Lady Lounge, Eddie Moore, Ryan J. Lee, Zach Morrow, Charlotte Street Foundation, Seth Davis, Mike Dillon, 1900 Building, Westport Coffee House, Second Nature Ensemble

Concert Review: Eddie Moore, Ryan J. Lee and Zach Morrow at Charlotte Street Foundation

August 1, 2021 William Brownlee
Original image by Plastic Sax.

Original image by Plastic Sax.

A thrilling performance by a band led by Eddie Moore at the Tank Room five years ago was a factor in his selection as the 2016 Plastic Sax Person of the Year. The keyboardist’s appearance with Ryan J. Lee (keyboards/electronics) and Zach Morrow (drums) at Charlotte Street Foundation on Thursday, July 22, was no less triumphant. Bolstered by excellent sound, captivating video projections and a capacity audience of about 100 spirited admirers, Moore’s trio offered a vital fusion of jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop. Renderings of “Misunderstood” and “Single Double”, the new songs that opened and closed the hour-long set, were bigger and bolder than the recorded versions. Time will tell if the memorable concert was merely a satisfying summation of Moore’s career to date or the cornerstone of a new era for Kansas City’s music scene.

Tags Kansas City, jazz, Eddie Moore, Ryan J. Lee, Zach Morrow, Charlotte Street Foundation