Feelin' Groovy: Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What

So Beautiful Or So What EPK

Like many avid music fans, I'm constantly in search of the thrill of the new. Established, tried-and-true artists, consequently, don't always grab my attention. Earlier this week I reluctantly cued up Lucinda Williams' new Blessed album. It's really nice. With the same sort of initial misgivings, I recently began listening to Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What.

"Ain't no song like an old song," Simon sings on "Love & Blessings."

Sometimes I forget just how true that is. The new album is a natural extension of the same smart but playful grooves that have characterized his entire career. Besides, the album's gospel, African and South American flourishes are already familiar in popular music today in large part because Simon was doing that stuff forty years ago.

Now excuse me while I get back to glorifying my shiny new toys.


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Krystle Warren! (Video tip via Sam Wisman.)

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The video for "All I Kno Is Hood" shows why I'm a fan of Big Scoob and Krizz Kaliko. I'm less impressed by Ron Ron's new tribute to Run-DMC.

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I L.O.V.E. the Go! Team.

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I'm awed by the video documentation of Dustin O'Halloran's performance at HBC Berlin.

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"Run the World (Girls)," the jigsaw puzzle that passes as her new single, makes my role as a shameless Beyonce apologist rather difficult.

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Did you know that a compilation of Henry Rollins' favorite Blue Note recordings has been issued by the jazz label?

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Kansas City Click: Doug MacLeod appears Friday at BB's Lawnside BBQ.

The Whigs play the Riot Room on Saturday.

The People's Liberation Big Band celebrate May Day at the Record Bar.

Manchester Orchestra headline Monday at the Beaumont Club.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Shiftless When Idle: Notes on Sunday's Tribute to the Replacements

Take it from a guy who was there- The Replacements weren't a good live band. Sunday's tribute show at the Record Bar, consequently, was an attractive proposition. And coming as it did on Easter, I was able to celebrate in a fashion appropriate to the occasion.

Dead Girls opened the show with "Little Mascara." They went on to play Big Star's "September Gurls," The Beatles' "Nowhere Man" (a learned friend informed me that Westerberg covered it for the I Am Sam soundtrack) and Kiss' "Black Diamond." Another friend amusingly characterized the set as a "tribute to a Replacements tribute."

Although the quality of the subsequent performers didn't dissipate, the remainder of the night represented a case of diminishing returns. I just wasn't feeling it. Only when Steve Tulipana's band was joined by a three-piece horn section that included excellent jazz saxophonist Rich Wheeler for a crackling rendition of "Can't Hardly Wait" did I get chills.

You guessed it- I left "Unsatisfied".

(The Pitch provides proper pictures.)

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Today's new releases, in order of personal preference: James Farm, Bill Frisell, Of Montreal, Emmylou Harris, Eric Alexander, Prefuse 73, MF Doom, Otep, Julian Lage, Tindersticks, Cachao, Explosions In the Sky, Various- The Sue Story, Bootsy Collins, Ricky Dillard, Irvin Mayfield, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Juvenile, NightShade, Steve Earle, Todd Rundgren, Etta Jones & Houston Person, Lightnin' Malcolm, Bowling For Soup and Thao & Mirah.

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I reviewed reviewed last night's concert by Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan. I reviewed Aaron Lewis' performance in the same venue last week.

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Huey Meaux has died. I only spoke to him a couple times, but I represented Meaux's incredible catalog for years.

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That voice! Phoebe Snow has died.

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Hazel Dickens died last week. Not every folk artist can be Joan Baez, you know.

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Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex has died.

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I interviewed Clayton McDonnell of MaxJazz at Plastic Sax.

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Kanrocksas.

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Kansas City Click: The Beaumont seems like an awfully big venue for The Black Lips, but the band is headlining at the Westport venue Tuesday.

Kinky Friedman does his thing at Knuckleheads on Wednesday.

The Photo Atlas perform at Crosstown Station on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: DJ 2-Tone Jones' Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber

Shaolin Jazz EPK

If you suspect that classic Wu-Tang Clan material re-imagined as the work of a jazz-based collective would be exactly my thing, well, you have me pegged. I represent precisely the target audience for DJ 2-Tone Jones' Shaolin Jazz: The 37th Chamber.

The train-spotting aspect of the new free mixtape has already provided me with hours of pleasure.

Is that the Blackbyrds on "The High Priestess of Chessboxin'"? Wait, is that Fela during this interlude? Hey, that's Pharoah Sanders' "Astral Traveling" behind "C.R.E.A.M."! I can't believe he thought to combine Ramsey Lewis' version of "Quinn the Eskimo" and "Method Man." Is DJ 2-Tone Jones mocking Redman and Method Man's juvenile "How High"? Hilarious!

Is Shaolin Jazz greater than the sum of its parts? No, of course not. Herbie Hancock's essential Blue Note sessions and Liquid Swords are already perfect. But DJ 2-Tone Jones has nonetheless created something new, something that should also have lasting value.

Aside from dealing with the noxious nature of Mediafire, adventurous There Stands the Glass readers and Gil Scott-Heron fans have nothing to lose. Go get it. "The combination," as Raekwon suggested, will make your "eyes bleed."

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I reviewed Mac Lethal's new North Korean BBQ mixtape. (Spoiler: I like it a lot.)

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UMKC professor Zhou Long was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music this week.

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Gerard Smith of TV on the Radio has died.

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Terry Currier reports that Kent Morrill of the Fabulous Wailers has died.

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Big band leader Orrin Tucker died April 9.

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Kansas City Click: I'll break my KC-only rule to recommend Soul Track Mind's Thursday appearance at the Bottleneck in Lawrence. RIYL: Charles Bradley, Delbert McClinton and Eddie Hinton.

Longtime There Stands the Glass favorite Steddy P. tops Friday's bill at the Record Bar.

Red Line Chemistry have an acoustic in-store lined up at FYE in Independence on Saturday.

Here comes a regular. I'll be at the Record Bar on Sunday. Here's an invitation I made at Card Karma.

Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan hit the VooDoo on Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Crate Digging with DJ P

As friends posted updates about their Record Store Day activities last Saturday, I considered inviting them over to my home for an impromptu sale. I could always use the money and my neglected collection takes up a lot of space. Even so, I was sucked into the vinyl vortex the following day when I heard that DJ P was performing in front of Zebedee's. I like DJ P in part because we both understand that hip hop, metal and reggae albums belong in the same bin. Footage from 2006 shows that DJ P was ahead of the curve. Inevitably, I wound up buying more jazz and R&B vinyl. I just can't help myself.

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With features from many of the town's top names, The Popper's "For the Mo" will almost certainly be the Kansas City-area's top music video of 2011. (Initial tip via Tony's Kansas City.) It also reminds me that it's been far too long since I've heard "Check My Posture", one of my favorite songs of 2008.

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Randy Wood, founder of Dot Records, died last week. Jazz blogger Marc Myers provides valuable perspective on Wood's legacy.

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I'm misty blue. A storm destroyed Malaco Records last week.

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I recently reviewed performances by Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer and the Del McCoury Band with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

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I've done a disservice to myself and to There Stands the Glass readers by not regularly listing the new releases that most excite me. In order of personal preference, here's a checklist of artists with albums out today: Ralph Stanley, Les Nubians, Dead Rock West, Berner, Gorillaz, Walt Weiskopf, High Llamas, DJ Quick, Willie Clayton (If Your Loving Wasn't Good Enough To Keep Me...How In The World Do You Think It Can Bring Me Back), Various- Shattered Dreams: Funky Blues 1967-78, Various- Impulse! @50: First Impulse - The Creed Taylor Collection, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Allen Toussaint (Lost Sessions), Erwin Schrott, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, Duff McKagan, Old Time Religion- Rare Recordings Of Jerry Lee Lewis In Church Preachin', Shoutin', and Singin', Samuel Blaser & Paul Motian and Cam'ron.

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I made an e-card invitation for a show I plan to attend on Easter. Feel free to join me.

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Here's a new Kickstarter funding request from the People's Liberation Big Band.

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Kansas City Click: The Barclay Martin Ensemble return to Jardine's on Tuesday.

The Hudson Falcons play Davey's on Wednesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Robert Parris at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church

I attended an organ recital Monday. On purpose. I overcame my bias against Episcopal churches to hear Robert Parris perform at Saint Paul's.

Parris doesn't look like the kind of guy who spends much time around 808s, but he opened the concert with an original composition that seemed as if it was directly inspired by hip hop. The low end of his Sonata II was dope.

The brilliance of J.S. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in E minor, S. 548 allowed me to conduct a spontaneous exercise in astral projection. The complete version of Julius Reubke's challenging Sonata on the 94th Psalm had many in the audience of 150 squirming impatiently in the unforgiving wooden pews. Not me.

I'm looking forward to future American Guild of Organists events.

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Here's the money line from Tim Finn's interesting survey of music retail: Kelly Corcoran of Love Garden suggests that "The new interest in vinyl is from people mostly interested in the same 500 records." You mean to tell me that the trend-chasing of hipsters hasn't increased the value of my complete collection of Cameo albums?

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A Facebook friend challenged people to list their favorite fifteen songs by the Kinks. Here's what I posted: Oklahoma U.S.A., Picture Book, All Day and All of the Night, Where Have All the Good Times Gone, You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Alcohol, Low Budget, Stop Your Sobbing, Tired of Waiting, The Village Green Preservation Society, Big Sky, Celluloid Heroes, A Rock'n'Roll Fantasy and This Is Where I Belong.

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Mashup of the year? (Via Meesha.)

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Jazz violinist BIlly Bang has died.

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Chicago blues man Lacy Gibson has died.

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It's astounding that a guy who played with Django Reinhardt is alive and continuing to make groundbreaking music. I watched NPR's live webcast of Martial Solal's gig last night. It was really good. The cumulative viewership never surpassed 300. That's not so good.

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The newly announced Wakarusa schedule poses several intriguing choices for attendees of the festival- My Morning Jacket or Galactic? Umphrey's McGee or Ha Ha Tonka? Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings or Lucero?

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Ces Cru's new video features footage from its January 15 gig opening for Tech N9ne at the Beaumont. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: The weekly KC Songwriter Forum takes place Thursday at the Brick.

Diverse plays the music of Michael Jackson at the Record Bar on Friday.

Terence Blanchard performs at the Gem Theater on Saturday.

Alaturka return to Jardine's on Sunday.

Pepper Rabbit top Monday's bill at the Riot Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Middle of the Map

It's a hit! The inaugural Middle of the Map festival succeeded on every level. I caught eight of the festival's fifty-plus performances. In order of personal preference:

1. Daniel Johnston with Capybara- The pairing of cult hero Daniel Johnston with Capybara was inspired. Johnston's effort was nothing short of heroic.
2. Cowboy Indian Bear- Even though its feathery melodies and happy bounce aren't really my thing (they'd be the perfect house band for Yo Gabba Gabba!), Cowboy Indian Bear is on to something extraordinary.
3. Deadringers- Blues-based garage rock along the lines of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
4. Paper Route- The OneRepublic of indie-rock. (That's a good thing.)
5. Spirit is the Spirit- A hippie version of Dr. Dog.
6. Saharan Gazelle Boy- It doesn't happen often outside of hip hop, but this is a rare instance of an act's recordings being superior to its live show.
7. Margot & the Nuclear So & So's- Bland.
8. Sam Billen- There's a time and place for Billen's laptop folk music. Saturday afternoon at the Record Bar wasn't one of them. (One of the bored people in this photo is your humble correspondent.)

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Hammerlord has a new video for "Tombstone Piledriver".

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I loved Kool Keith's rare Kansas City appearance. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: Hermon Mehari returns to the Blue Room on Monday.

Movits! play at Crosstown Station on Tuesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Israel Nash Gripka- Barn Doors and Concrete Floors

Video stream of Israel Nash Gripka's "Goodbye Ghost"

Where my hippies at?

Israel Nash Gripka creates music that's a throwback to the Nixon era. Yet today's listeners don't need to remember John Denver or wear bell-bottoms to appreciate Barn Doors and Concrete Floors.

The new album contains the songcraft of Robbie Robertson and the bleary gypsy-folk style associated with Bob Dylan's Desire. And then there's the Stones references. "Sunset, Regret" and "Louisiana" make it clear that Gripka and his band have spent some quality time with Sticky Fingers. The presence of producer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth insures that the album never sounds stale. Barn Doors and Concrete Floors demands to be played on vinyl with windows thrown open so that crickets can chirp along.

"Oh, Missouri won't you bless my soul," Gripka moans on "Bellwether Ballad."

Shake it on down.


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I'm not entirely sold on the music, but Spoek Mathambo's "Control" is my second-favorite video of 2011. (Via BigSteveNO.)

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My final Middle of the Map band of the week is Maps & Atlases: The Chicago-based band is slotted between Work Drugs and Two Door Cinema Club at the Beaumont Club on Friday.

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Here's a high-quality performance video of Kristie Stremel & the 159ers.

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I might have accomplished a lot more in recent weeks if only I'd been able to stop thinking about Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now". It's not a proper song, yet it's one of the year's biggest hits. How does that happen? Brown is going out of his way to make everyone in the world hate him. Why isn't it working? Are his fans really that dim? Busta! Is Weezy's explicit homophobia merely a sly response to Brown's opening rap about male genitalia? And is the video an intentional homage to the sexual ambiguity of Michael Jackson's "Beat It"?

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Kansas City Click: The inaugural Middle of the Map festival takes place in four venues Friday and Saturday.

The annual fundraiser for Kansas City Youth Jazz is Sunday at the Madrid Theater.

Hermon Mehari hosts Monday's jam at the Blue Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Big K.R.I.T.- Return of 4Eva

After quickly glancing at a list of my favorite releases from the first quarter of 2011, I was pleasantly surprised to spot several free self-released mixtapes in my nascent top ten. They range from Nicholas Payton's label-rejected Bitches to Kansas City hip hop artist Steddy P.'s What Happened Tomorrow. Big K.R.I.T.'s Return of 4Eva is also in the mix. Unlike many such projects, it boasts top-quality production and solid features by the likes of David Banner, Chamillionaire and Raheem DeVaughn. I'd gladly pay money for songs like "Lions and Lambs" and "King's Blues." And that's the conundrum- how can I justify spending money on today's new releases from the Raveonettes, Gretchen Parlato, Avant and Etta James when I already possess hour after hour of excellent free new music? Aw... I'm not fooling anybody. Money I'd otherwise spend at the Oak Tree will continue to go to prerecorded music.


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The hype surrounding Vijay Iyer quickly becomes tiresome, but I have to admit that this trio session recorded for NPR is astounding.

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Here's my review of Joe Lovano and Us Five's concert at the Folly Theater. I also covered a fine outing by the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Snuff Jazz.

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Although I always loathed his biggest hit, I'm saddened by the death of Mel McDaniel.

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I must have missed the release of the new video for "Caked Up" by Ron Ron and Stik Figa while I was on my blogging sabbatical.

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Free Lil' Boosie! Not really. But the new video for Kansas City's Mon EG and Boosie's "Dime Piece" is solid. (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Kansas City Click: Big K.R.I.T. appears at the Granada Theater in Lawrence on Tuesday.

Jack Walrath performs at White Recital Hall on Wednesday.

The Waybacks pick and grin at Crosstown Station on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)