Concert Review: Lawrence Brownlee and Eric Owens at the Folly Theater

Lawrence Brownlee’s powerful singing and enthralling emoting impressed me as I sat in the rear balcony of Carnegie Hall two years ago.  When I discovered that I could secure front row seats for my cousin’s April 6 show at the Folly Theater at an 80% discount, I jumped at the deal offered by the Harriman-Jewell series.  I was rewarded for my nominal investment with my favorite show of 2017 to date.  Yet it was Brownlee’s fellow opera star Eric Owens who I most appreciated during the program of arias, Great American Songbook tunes and gospel selections.  Less flashy but more stirring than Brownlee, Owens reduced me to tears as he delivered “Give Me Jesus.”  Jovial duets on uptempo selections like the ridiculous “Dolores” caused my face to ache from smiling so strenuously.  Libby Hanssen reviewed the concert for The Kansas City Star.


---
I reviewed Kris Kristofferson’s return to the Uptown Theater for The Kansas City Star.

---
I reviewed Judah & the Lion’s concert at the Uptown Theater for The Kansas City Star.

---
I wrote extended concert previews about Radiohead and Chris Brown for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine.

---
My latest rounds of weekly music previews for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine are here and here.

---
I recently designated Second Hand King and Katy Guillen & the Girls KCUR’s Band of the Week.

---
Donny McCaslin floored me at the Folly Theater on Friday.  My notes are at Plastic Sax.

---
I did some work with Lonnie Brooks in the 1990s.  The Chicago blues artist was a warm, generous man.  Brooks died last week.

---
Until I read his obituaries, I didn’t know that Arthur Blythe was married to the one-time Kansas City based vocalist and actress Queen Bey.

---
“I took my roof off at the red light!”  I’m not too proud to admit that I can’t get enough of Rick Ross’ noxious Rather You Than Me.  Here’s ”Trap Trap Trap”.

---
I ordinarily don’t have much patience for newly recorded mainstream jazz albums.  Heads of State’s All in One is an exception.  The septuagenarian saxophonist Gary Bartz is in top form.

---
Raekwon’s The Wild may be the strongest album by a Wu-Tang Clan member other than Ghostface of the last five years.  Here’s ”This Is What It Comes To”.

---
F*cked Up’s “Year of the Snake” has restored my faith in 23-minute songs.  RIYL: MC5, kicking out the jams, Dwarves.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Pop Life

Even though I acknowledged the awful news in April, I hadn’t shed a single tear over Prince’s death until last night.   The magnitude of the loss finally hit home as the There Stands the Glass favorite Bilal delivered a libidinous version “The Beautiful Ones” on the broadcast of the BET Awards.  By performing with lust rather than grief, Bilal’s effort was the only one of the many tributes I’ve seen in the last ten weeks that caused me to crack.


---
I reviewed a free Public Enemy concert.

---
I reviewed a concert by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.

---
I discussed the late Little Hatch and the return of the Kansas City Kansas Street Blues Festival on KCUR last week.

---
I scrutinize a pet peeve at Plastic Sax.

---
Ralph Stanley has died.  I last saw the pioneer at Starlight Theatre in 2002. 

---
Chips Moman has died.

---
Amjad Sabri was murdered.

---
Freddy Powers has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

---
Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns has died.

---
Bernie Worrell has died.

---
Katy Guillen & the Girls’ Heavy Days is RIYL: Mountain, boogie, Foghat.

---
Dâm-Funk’s entry for the !Z7 label’s DJ-Kicks series is my jam.  George Clinton, DJ mix tapes, Reggie B.

---
The New Breed, the new album by the Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker is RIYL: the Lounge Lizards, anti-jazz, Marc Ribot.

---
DJ Shadow's The Mountain Will Fall doesn’t disappoint.  RIYL: possibilities, Pimp C, space.

---
It seems quaint that albums like the Bill Charlap Trio’s Notes From New York are still being made.  I’m charmed in spite of myself.  RIYL: Barry Harris, anachronisms, Tommy Flanagan.

---
YG’s Still Brazy is RIYL: Dr. Dre, 1993, Tha Dogg Pound.  Here’s ”Gimmie Got Shot”.

(Original image of Sheila E. by There Stands the Glass.)