KC’s Cup Runneth Over

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: Cynthia van Roden

The old-school vocalist Cynthia van Roden returns to the Market at Meadowbrook on Saturday, November 30. Her performances are recommended to fans of Blossom Dearie, Marilyn Maye and Anita O’Day.

Swing Low

Mocking old folks and the music they love is a regrettable tradition. Yet the joke was on latecomers at The Market at Meadowbrook on Saturday, January 14. Each of the approximately four dozen chairs in the cafe were occupied by geriatric fans of dixieland jazz for the entirety of a two-hour performance by a sprightly trio led by Lynn Zimmer. Old-timers braved sub-zero temperatures to warm their souls to satiny renditions of tunes like “Wolverine Blues,” “Amazing Grace” and “Stardust.” The clarinetist and his colleagues worked the room like vote-hungry politicians at the break. Zimmer has earned what many of the more artistically stylish Kansas City based jazz musicians lack- a large and enthusiastic fan base eager to show up for every performance. There’s nothing old-fashioned about that.

Plastic Sax’s Favorite Performances of 2023

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.)

Now’s the Time: Lynn Zimmer

The closure of the Gaslight Grill didn’t just disappoint regular diners at the once-bustling restaurant in Leawood, Kansas.  It was a devastating setback for fans of traditional jazz.  Dick Hawk, the late owner of Gaslight Grill, was an avid Dixieland enthusiast.  He installed clarinetist Lynn Zimmer as the longstanding leader of the house band at his establishment.  Zimmer returns to Johnson County to perform a matinee show at The Market at Meadowbrook on Friday, May 19.

On the Market

I’ve spent several carefree Friday afternoons at The Market at Meadowbrook this year. The cafe attached to The Inn at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village features live music from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. every Friday. Most of the entertainers in the family-friendly setting perform jazz. Outings by small groups led by Adam Galblum and Jackie Myers have been particularly rewarding. Alas, not every booking is commendable. The efficient staff and excellent food offer consolation when the music is inferior. On those occasions, watching affluent travelers check into the tony hotel is sufficiently entertaining. Although I don’t benefit from the high-dollar transactions, the ingrained sound of a ringing cash register is music to my ears.