Review: Gipsy Kings at the Midland

Ushers at the Midland Theater had the worst jobs in Kansas City on Sunday.  They'd apparently been instructed to quell dancing at the evening's Gipsy Kings concert.  The absurd demand was tantamount to telling Royals' fans at a Sunday afternoon game in July that sweating is forbidden.  Movement isn't optional at the joyous, life-affirming performances of the Gipsy Kings.  And because under 500 people attended Sunday's otherwise magnificent and sonically pristine show, there was plenty of room to dance.  No matter.  Music lovers were forced to contain themselves.  At least women were invited to the stage to dance during "Bamboleo."  It looked a lot like this.


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I reviewed Saturday's concert by Cody Canada, Shooter Jennings and Uncle Lucius.

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Jennings featured a Gary Stewart song in his pre-set mix.  It was the first time I'd heard Stewart in a couple years.  I'm not living right.

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Alas, I can't listen to Gary Stewart because "Funky Drummer" is on repeat.  It's going to take a lifetime to absorb thos brilliance.

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I intend to keep posting Krystle Warren clips until the rest of the world shares my enthusiasm for the woman's music.

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The music video for Krizz Kaliko's "Stay Alive" is grim.

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I've never attended Soundset. 

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I've been enjoying the transmissions of a terrestrial radio station that mixes current pop hits with old favorites by Britney, Madonna and Prince.

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Ledisi praises Robert Glasper.

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Kansas City Click: Portugal.The.Man play the Beaumont on Monday.

Green River Ordinance is at the Riot Room on Tuesday.

The Wombats appear at the Beaumont on Wednesday.

(Original distant image of the Gipsy Kings by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Satchmo at the National Press Club

The First Amendment Lounge at the National Press Club was the jazz capitol of the universe earlier today. Scholars were scheduled to discuss Louis Armstrong's 1971 visit to the institution. A recording of the event was issued this week by Smithsonian Folkways.

Even though only five of the release's eleven tracks feature Armstrong and the album's sound quality is sketchy, the rediscovered recording is an important document. I'm certainly better for having heard it. Armstrong sounds vital just five months before his death. In addition to performing fine versions of material including "Mack the Knife" and "Hello Dolly," Armstrong tells an amusing joke about erectile disfunction. And as Wynton Marsalis notes in his video commentary on Satchmo at the National Press Club, it's fascinating to hear how revered Armstrong was among members of the audience.

Oddly, my favorite track on the album is Tyree Glenn's charming impression of Armstrong on "A Kiss To Build a Dream On." As Glenn exclaims, "He was the greatest- beautiful!"

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I wish I could buy Murray Gershenz's record collection.

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The implications of François Hollande's supposedly official campaign spot make my head spin.

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New to me: the pairing of Chet Baker and Caterina Valente. (Via Marc Myers.)

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While I have no intention of attending, the Wakarusa stage schedule is enticing.

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An examination of the set times of the Sweetlife Festival raises a perplexing question- how can Fun fun. headline a festival in Kansas City but serve as the lowest-billed main stage act at a festival in D.C.?

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 "Hustle bones comin' out my mouth!" (From my #4 album of 2012.)

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Kansas City Click: My officials picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Nerds!

I'm a nerd who doesn't like nerd-rock.

What's nerd-rock?  I define it as brainy, self-conscious music made by nerds for their fellow nerds.  (Third-generation ska acts like Reel Big Fish, emo-rap acts like MC Chris and pop-punk acts like Bowling For Soup are disqualified from consideration because they try too hard.  Real nerds don't have a choice.)  

Cake meets my definition.  I'm envious of the dorky fun had by 2,000 Cake devotees at the Uptown Theater last Friday.  (Here's my review.)   I don't dislike Cake, but the band's music just doesn't connect with me.  I'm similarly indifferent to nerd-rock acts like Ben Folds, They Might Be Giants, OK Go and Barenaked Ladies.

I fell hard for Camper Van Beethoven when I saw the band in the basement of a college dorm, but my infatuation was short-lived.  Weezer comes a bit closer to the mark. So, is there any nerd-rock I do embrace?  Yes indeed- Elvis Costello, De La Soul and the Descendents.

"I'm Not a Loser!"


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I reviewed an odd outing by Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik.

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I'm quoted in Tim Finn's study of aging musicians.

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Bostyx! (Via Rock Town Hall.)

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"Guitar tutor" Bert Weedon has died.  (Tip via B.G.O.)

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Bassist Chris Ethridge has died.

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I can't remember why I failed to go to the "I'm So Glad" gospel concert at my church a couple months ago.  (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

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ECM created an  audio teaser for the new album by John Abercrombie and Joe Lovano.

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Here's a nice video survey of last month's Middle of the Map festival.

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Beau Bledsoe improves the quality of (my) life in Kansas City.

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"Come On"!  I spend a lot of time thinking about Chuck Berry.

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Kansas City Click: I wrote about revisiting The Majestic at Plastic Sax.  Here's the venue's calendar.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Levon Helm, 1940-2012

I'm not going to wax rhapsodic about the passing of Levon Helm. Poetic words about the man are easily found elsewhere. I'm just so glad I saw him one last time a couple years ago. Here are my notes on that concert. (Don't miss the link to the video a fan shot in Kansas City that night.) Lest we forget- "Life Is a Carnival".

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Teddy Charles has died. Watch him in full crank mode. Charles has a right to be bitter. The early-'50s album New Directions is exceedingly hip. And the concepts laid out on his 1956 Tentet album sound as if they could have been written last year. In truth, one of the reasons I neglected to write more about Helm is that I can't stop listening to Charles' music. It provides one revelation after another.

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Dick Clark has died. Tim Finn gets it right in his overview of Clark's career.

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Larry Kirwin of Black 47 pays tribute to Kansas City in an interesting essay.

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Lee Fields sings his heart out for NPR.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Hahn + Hauschka Silfra

Silfra, the enticing collaboration between Hilary Hahn + Hauschka, won't be released until May 22, but I just can't contain my enthusiasm for the project any longer. It's beautiful, mysterious and innovative.

The recording by the young American violinist and the German "master of prepared piano" uncannily echoes my internal soundtrack. Silfra tracks the deep grooves already formed by my tormented thoughts. I've been plagued by personal problems during the first third of 2012. My existential brooding and occasional happy respites are ideally articulated by Hahn and Hauschka.

As the sonic representation of my state of mind, Silfra is slightly abrasive, disorienting and yes, a bit pretentious. I'd be lying if I suggested that hearing lilting sambas, Ellingtonian suites, Bach concertos or J Dilla beats in my head wouldn't be preferable. Silfra is slightly creepy, much like the score of an arty European horror film. Unfortunately, I'm in the midst of a crisis in which Karl Stockhausen and Nino Rota serve as crucial reference points.

Hahn and Hauschka acknowledge beauty, but even Silfra's most sublime moments hint at a deeper despair. My problems may dissipate in the coming months. Even if things get better, however, my profound appreciation for Silfra will remain.


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Please don't worry about me- "I'm still hanging on."

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I reviewed John Pizzarelli's concert Saturday at the Folly Theater.

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Kauffman Stadium and the park at 75th & Holmes are the settings for Tragedy's "Best Thing Moving" video. (Tip via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns has died.

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Rodgers Grant of "Yeh Yeh" fame has died.

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Would someone please explain Wishbone Ash? Is it a boogie band that went prog? Or is it the other way around? I listened to Argus for the first time the other night, and well… I just don't get it.

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Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds is my hero. The raconteur starts talking at 1:20.

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Lolz! Thundercat's "Walkin'" video amuses me.

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Kansas City Click: Harling's hosts New Jazz Order every Tuesday.

Johnny Winter plays Knuckleheads on Wednesday.

Sabaton visits the Beaumont on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Steddy P.- Better Make Room

Steddy P. wears a t-shirt that implores "Always Support Locals" in the embedded video for "Local Heroes." I don't subscribe to that philosophy.

Advocating an artist just because he or she shares the same area code is patronizing and delusional. I didn't place Steddy P.'s Style Like Mind on my top ten album list in 2009 because it was a local product. It truly resonated with me more than internationally acclaimed releases like Kid Cudi's Man On the Moon.

Most worthwhile music bloggers are eager to examine the sounds that originate in their own backyards. I regularly write about locally-based music at There Stands the Glass and Plastic Sax, but as many artists have learned the hard way, I don't play the role of an undiscerning cheerleader.

Steddy P. has never needed to worry about getting bashed by me. He's good. Scheduled for release next week, his Better Make Room is another impressive addition to his discography. Steddy P.'s smart raps and welcome guest spots from Ces Cru's Ubiquitous and Godemis are typically excellent, but it's the sample-free production that sets the release apart. A rapper who has demonstrated that performing with a live band is infinitely preferable to using canned accompaniment, Steddy P. is a genuine music obsessive, a trait that's shockingly uncommon in the hip hop community.

The only aspects of Better Make Room that don't appeal to me are Steddy P.'s juvenile references to marijuana and a few too many self-referential boasts about his Indyground crew. Steddy P. hopes to build an empire along the lines of Doomtree. Better Make Room doesn't quite reach the artistic heights of the best of the Twin Cities-based collective, but it's very good.


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I reviewed Bassnectar's concert Thursday at the Midland Theatre.

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I caught Leon Russell's return to Knuckleheads last night. Here's my review.

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Here's a nice documentary about one aspect of Lawrence's hip hop scene. (Tip via oh! mr..)

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Kudos to Sporting KC for posting a video titled "Who has the Best/Worst Taste in Music?".

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Here's an EPK for Kenny Garrett's new album.

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Fun setting KC on fire at Middle of the Map. (Not my thing, but much respect…)

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

Review: Maria and Tatiana Ioudenitch at the Carlsen Center

After spending thirteen glorious but draining hours at the Sprint Center and the Middle of the Map festival during the weekend, I knew I needed to get back on the horse immediately. A recital by Maria and Tatiana Ioudenitch at Johnson County Community College on Monday represented more than a mere sonic palette cleanser. The pair are members of Kansas City's most elite musical family.

Pianist Tatiana and violinist Maria are the wife and daughter of Stanislav Ioudenitch. Neither addressed the audience of about 75 during their 45-minute recital and I'm not about to skulk around on the internet trying to ascertain Maria's age. She's probably about 17.

Aside from a few minor slips, Maria's recital was extremely impressive. Her astonishing agility shone on pieces by Bach, Brahms and Gluck, but it was her energetic commitment to Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen" that made me think that she might be in this for the long run.

I have no idea what it takes to become the next Hilary Hahn. Furthermore, I have no idea if Maria harbors such ambitions. Should it come to that, however, this post will serve as my "I saw her when" boast.


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I was nonplussed when I first saw Lady Antebellum in 2010. Yet the trio was undeniably excellent Friday at Sprint Center. Here's my review.

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My notes on day three of the Middle of the Map festival focus on the bands featured at the RecordBar.

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Mission of Burma's set was the most exciting thing I heard all weekend. Here's footage.

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Barney McKenna, the self-described "flounder" of the Dubliners, has died. I saw him with the band last month at Royal Albert Hall.

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If I could listen to the music of only one artist for the rest of my life, I might select Caetano Veloso.

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Here's Miles Bonny's new project.

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The Kansas City Symphony's video about the Joyce DiDonato master class I attended a couple weeks ago at Helzberg Hall is charming. (Via KC Stage blog.)

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The Creep, Ted Nash's new album, is highly recommended to fans of Ornette Coleman, David Murray and Henry Threadgill.

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Kansas City Click: The Westport Art Ensemble return to the Westport Coffee House on Tuesday.

Trouser Mouse hosts Chris Duarte on Wednesday.

Mountain Sprout perform Thursday at the Riot Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Philip Glass and Tim Fain at Helzberg Hall

Libby Hanssen and Nathan Clay Barbarick wrote proper reviews of Philip Glass' concert Tuesday at Helzberg Hall. Here are a few observations from my vantage point in the front row (only $30!):

*The great composer isn't exactly the world's most precise pianist. I found his warts-and-all playing endearing.

*Glass begins playing the instant he seats himself at the piano bench.

*The thirty-two minute solo violin piece performed by Tim Fain was a bit much. I get it- Glass' signature style remains even when he intentionally evokes Bach. And yeah, it sounds really cool on violin. Even so, fifteen minutes of that exercise would have been plenty.

*Glass is surprisingly chatty.

*Set to Alan Ginsberg's disembodied voice, "Wichita Vortex Sutra" was the clear highlight of the concert.

*I assume Glass' use of amplification was an aesthetic decision. As the other critics implied, hearing Fain's breathing through his mic'ed violin was awkward for everyone, especially for Fain.

*I attend a lot of live music events, including plenty of classical concerts. Yet I'd never laid eyes on almost half of Tuesday's audience of about 1,000. I wondered if the entire staff and student body of a small Midwestern art school had been bused in for the concert.

*By the way, what's with the empty seats, friends? It's Philip F*cking Glass!


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Bill Callahan's version of Mickey Newbury's "Heaven Help the Child" is righteous.

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Speaking of covers, an aspiring jazz chanteuse should use a savvy version of "The Ghost In You" to launch her career. Underneath the dated production is an amazingly solid song.

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I had high hopes for the new release by BadBadNotGood. The idea of trash-talking jazz kids with a thing for hip hop is enormously appealing. Unfortunately, the band is merely adequate. In its best moments, BBNG sounds like a decent The Bad Plus cover band. At its worst, BBNG2 could be mistaken for a shreds parody. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that BBNG's latest video has over 60,000 views in 48 hours.

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The Ultimate David Lee Roth Karate Kick Compilation. (Via Terry Taylor.)

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Kansas City Click: I can't pretend that there aren't a lot of bands at the Middle of the Map festival that don't appeal to me. (My notes on ten acts are published here.) Still, I'm tremendously excited about the opportunity to catch a couple dozen of the featured musicians.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Village Chamber Choir at Village Presbyterian Church

I was almost turned away from the Village Chamber Choir's performance of Johannes Brahms' A German Requiem at Village Presbyterian Church last Sunday. I couldn't locate an open seat and the volunteer ushers were more concerned with protecting their spots than insisting that patrons make room for others. A kind group of senior citizens finally made space for me in the back row of the church's balcony.

The powerful performance was deserving of a full house, but I suspect that both the venue's generous use of air conditioning on the unseasonably hot day and the obligatory attendance of friends and family of the seventy-person choir contributed to attracting many in the audience of over 1,000.

Dappled afternoon sunlight provided a cheerful light show while the choir and excellent guest vocalists Gwen Coleman Detwiler and Christopher Reames sang of grief. The otherwise lovely distraction prevented me from becoming fully invested in the emotionally turbulent work.

I focused instead on the celestial bounce offered by my distant vantage point. And while I was initially disappointed that two pianos rather than an orchestra accompanied the choir, I came to admire the stark elegance of the lean version of Brahm's piece. I never felt moved to mourn. Instead, the performance provided me with a satisfying Lenten celebration.


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James Christos appears in the trailer for Corporate FM.

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Obligatory sports reference.

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Kansas City Click: I'm opting for Philip Glass and TIm Fain at Helzberg Hall over Childish Gambino and Danny Brown at the Beaumont on Tuesday.

The New Vintage Big Band plays a monthly gig at BB's Lawnside BBQ on Wednesday.

The Middle of the Map festival kicks into high gear on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)