Artie "Blues Boy" White- Nite Before Pay Day

Artie "Blues Boy" White- "Nite Before Payday" (MP3)

I lost much of my enthusiasm for Kansas City's annual Thanksgiving blues breakfast after I sustained an injury in 2007. The unfortunate combination of Stoli and Millie Jackson caught up with me a couple hours after the event. Still, I was saddened that the tradition has come to an end. As much as I'd like to think the organizers decided my absence last year was reason enough to give up the entire endeavor, I'm sure that other factors contributed to the end of an era. One of them, of course, is that many of the premier soul-blues artists have left this mortal coil. Johnny Adams, Clarence Carter, Tyrone Davis, Z.Z. Hill, Little Milton, Wilson Pickett and Johnnie Taylor are gone. At least Artie "Blues Boy" White, 72, is still among us. "The Night Before Payday" is from an album that isn't in Amazon's system. They do offer a few alternatives. It's too bad I won't be dancing to White this Thanksgiving. Missing the Stoli shots, however, is probably a blessing.

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My friend Joel interviewed Paul Shirley.

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In the same way I appreciated Donald Fagen's The Nightfly, I'm feeling the Norah Jones's new album.

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Kansas City Click: Snoop Dogg brings Method Man, Redman and Devin the Dude to the VooDoo on Friday.

This year's Apocalypse Meow benefit takes place Saturday at Crosstown Station.

Ken Aldcroft joins the People's Liberation Big Band at the Record Bar on Sunday.

Van Dyke Parks- City On the Hill

Van Dyke Parks- "City On the Hill" (MP3)

I bought a stack of Van Dyke Parks vinyl cutouts in the '80s. I vividly recall the sense of bewilderment that overcame me when I first played them. I knew of the man primarily through his association with the Byrds and the Beach Boys. But his meticulously produced oddball art songs struck me as unlistenable. Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I bought a handful of Parks cutouts on CD in the '90s. Yep- still weird. Tastes change. I now kind of like the way he subverted calypso on 1975's Clang of the Yankee Reaper.

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I created two Twitter lists- Kansas City Hip Hop and Kansas City Jazz.

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It seems as if I'm constantly expressing disappointment with Mac Lethal. I'm pleased, consequently, that he's back on track. Check out his new songs at MySpace.

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The design for NPR's 50 Great Voices feature is outstanding.

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I reviewed a spectacular performance by Afinidad.

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Kansas City Click: McCoy tops Tuesday's bill at the Record Bar.

I've never been a huge Bouncing Souls fan, but I'm tempted by the opportunity to catch the band at the intimate Riot Room on Wednesday.

Review: The Buzz Halloweenie Roast

The first indication that Wednesday night would be a drag came as I queued up at the gate for the Buzz's Halloweenie Roast. I found myself amid a crush of A Flock of Seagulls fans who were loudly complaining about the music of Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears.

"That's the worst band I've ever heard," one birdbrain remarked.

Judge for yourself. Here's fan footage.

While I adore the throwback soul act, I have to admit that their halfhearted effort disappointed me. The Raveonettes were even less enthusiastic. While I'm fairly certain that Black Joe Lewis was just having an off night, I suspect that the Raveonettes work best as a studio project.

As unlikely as it seems, Nuthatch 47, a local Gogol Bordello-style band, offered my favorite performance of the night. They were funny and they seemed genuinely happy to be there. So did Thunder Eagle. "Alcoholocaust," their best song, sounded as if Pat Travers was sitting in with his kid's screamo band.

I had intended to stick around for both Jet and the mighty Architects, but the sadsacks in A Flock of Seagulls bummed me out so badly that I took flight midway through their set.

Read Jason Harper's amusing account of the event for further details. I don't feel guilty knowing that my antisocial behavior directly contributed to his sense of despair. Ink provides additional party pictures.

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I've neglected to note the passing of Vic Mizzy.

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My friends are busting my chops for writing a relatively favorable review of last night's Rob Thomas show.

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Kansas City Click: George Freaking Winston appears at Unity on the Plaza on Friday.

The Hearts of Darkness perform at Davey's on Halloween night.

Fast Johnny Ricker plays Sunday at Pilgrim Chapel.






















(Original images of costumed creepiness and Thunder Eagle by There Stands the Glass.)

Sachal Vasandani- Royal Eyes

Sachal Vasandani- "Royal Eyes" (MP3)

Did you know that Norah Jones has dozens, if not hundreds, of children?

They're not her biological kids. But Jones' unlikely commercial success has been so astounding that jazz-informed vocalists now have a shot at commercial acclaim in the post-Jones landscape.

One of the best of the new breed is Sachal Vasandani.

Don't mistake him for a smarmy new-school crooner. Where Michael Buble covers the Eagles, Vasandani covers Iron and Wine. And don't think he's a stuffy jazz formalist. Vasandani credits Bon Iver as an influence. It's precisely that progressive attitude that makes Vasandani so refreshing.

We Move, his excellent new album, contains a few songs that would please blue-haired fans of Frank Sinatra but still more manage to be entirely contemporary without ever resorting to smooth jazz cliches or failed stabs at pop.

Vasandani is also a gifted sonwriter. He explains the heart-wrenching story behind "Royal Eyes" in this video.

Vasandani was featured alongside Kurt Rosenwinkel and Jason Lindner yesterday at WBGO's The Checkout. Download the October 27 podcast here. You won't want to miss Rosenwinkel's appearance, but Vasandani's absolutely breathtaking rendition of "We Move" begins at the 17:51 mark.

Momma Norah would be proud.


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I'm struggling with the new Tech N9ne album. K.O.D. is really dirty. Fortunately for me, the video version of "Leave Me Alone" edits out the most obscene lines. Tech gets bonus points for featuring Kansas City's skyline as a backdrop.

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I didn't learn that Bruce Springsteen had canceled Monday's concert until I was a few hundred years from the arena.

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The highlight of last night's BET Hip Hop Awards was the inspired performance by Goodie Mobb. In fact, "old" guys like Cee-lo, Missy Elliott, Eminem, Ice Cube, KRS-One, Mos Def and Snoop Dogg clearly outclassed the newer artists.

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I'm encouraging my friends who think they don't like jazz to check out the Portico Quartet.

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Kansas City Click: The unlikely bill of Jet, the Raveonettes, A Flock of Seagulls, Black Joe Lewis and White Rabbits has been assembled for a radio station event Wednesday at the Beaumont's Backyard. The Architects serve as headliners inside the club.

The wonderful Tommy Womack hits Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Image borrowed from the Flickr account of ptcentrum.)

Review: The Pogues at The Midland Theater

It's a good thing I wasn't drinking at last night's concert by the Pogues.

Even without the assistance of streams of whiskey, I misted up as the bleak "Old Main Drag" concluded. I allowed a tear to slide down my cheek during the tender "A Rainy Night In Soho." Had I bellied up to the bar I might now be blogging behind bars.

It was bittersweet. Part of me felt like a guilty enabler as I watched Shane MacGowan literally fall down drunk. But mostly I was just thrilled to finally see one of my favorite bands. They were far better than I had any right to expect. And when watching Shane became too painful, I concentrated on Jem Finer's incredible banjo work.

Tim Finn's sterling review is spot-on. I didn't enjoy the experience quite as much as Jason Harper.

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Kansas City Click: Bruce tonight.

(Original tear-stained blur by There Stands the Glass.)

Blind Lemon Jefferson- Long Lonesome Blues

Blind Lemon Jefferson- "Long Lonesome Blues" (MP3)

As I watched a rerun of the Sanford and Son episode in which Fred fails to cash in on his collection of "Blind Mellow Jelly" vinyl, I realized that I've never featured Blind Lemon Jefferson at There Stands the Glass. Once you're able to listen past the surface noise of this 1926 recording, you'll hear a vibrant vocalist and guitarist who sounds completely contemporary. I don't know if that says more about Jefferson's genius, the timelessness of the blues or the stagnancy of today's blues artists. Over a dozen Jefferson collections are available. Take your pick here.

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Kansas City Click: The Pogues play Kansas City for the first time Sunday at the Midland Theater.

Bruce Springsteen returns to the Sprint Center on Monday. Unfortunately, Kansas City is slated to get the Born In the USA treatment. Here's the Bruce I love most.

Anne Winter

Everyone loved Anne Winter. She was smart, kind, generous, funny and infectiously positive.

Here's one of the many things Anne did for me. In the mid-80s, when I decided that I actually wanted to make a living doing something I enjoyed, I determined that I should work for a man named Hal. I didn't know him, and it took a couple weeks to convince Hal to hire me at a starting wage of $3.50 an hour. In the interim, Anne allowed me to help out at her record store. I assisted her with tasks like receiving, stocking, pricing and scheduling for a couple weeks until I landed my dream job.

Anne made me a better person. She made Kansas City a better place.

(Anne Winter, a fixture on Kansas City's music scene for 25 years, has reportedly passed away. Cross-posted from my personal blog.)