Sounding Off

Friends and associates are chagrined by my indifference to sonic fidelity.  I defend my lackluster stereo equipment by noting that a disproportionate percentage of my favorite recordings consist of hiss-imbued R&B, wobbly dub, murky jazz, scratchy honky tonk, ruffian rockabilly, disheveled punk and extemporaneous Soundcloud rap.  I don’t need a fancy system to properly appreciate that stuff.

Two new releases challenge my skinflint inclinations.

My modest speakers don’t protest when I inflict Pusha T on my neighbors, but they can’t handle Mirage? Concertos for Percussion, the dynamic collaboration of percussionist Evelyn Glennie, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and conductor Anne Manson.  Glennie’s marimba and vibraphone barrage compel the speakers to beg for mercy.

I’ve repeatedly returned to Dirty Projectors’ Lamp Lit Prose simply because it’s a mind-blowing headphone album.  I’m less interested in David Longstreth’s pastoral version of Art of Noise-style prog-pop than in his hallucinatory studio trickery. 

Perhaps it’s time to upgrade.


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Drake and Migos raised the bar at the Sprint Center last Sunday.  I reviewed the concert for The Kansas City Star.  (Instagram clip)

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I reviewed Keith Urban’s bonkers appearance at the Sprint Center on Friday for The Kansas City Star.  (Instagram clip)

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Aretha Franklin received no respect from Sam Smith at the Sprint Center on Saturday.  I reviewed the concert for The Kansas City Star.  (Instagram clip)

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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I previewed this month’s Charlie Parker Celebration at Plastic Sax.

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I reviewed Nate Nall's debut album Places to Go at Plastic Sax.

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Jazz vocalist Morgana King has died.

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Jill Janus of Huntress has died.

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I own physical copies of a few of Terence Blanchard’s film scores.  I’ve listened to each of them once.  While I enjoy his score for Blackkklansman, I doubt I’ll return to it.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Migos- Culture II

Why’s everybody picking on Migos?  Even one of my favorite locally based rappers joined the indignant mob that’s bashing the group.  The herd mentality has it wrong.  Culture II, the Atlanta trio’s new album, may be even more entertaining than last year’s massive breakout release Culture.  If Culture II works as a failsafe party-starter in the dead of winter, I can only imagine how combustible it’ll be in July.  Criticizing Migos’ laughable lyrics is folly.  The hilarious ignorance of Offset, Quavo and Takeoff on bangers like “Stir Fry” is an essential component of Migos’ appeal.  Migos is all about staccato rhythms and wavy vibes, attributes in abundant supply on the 105-minute release.  Ingrates whine that Culture II is too long.  That’s like complaining that a case of beer is too heavy.


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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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I featured Rubeo on my weekly spotlight on locally based musicians for KCUR.

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Blues saxophonist Eddie Shaw has died.  I’m fortunate to have seen the member of Howlin’ Wolf’s band perform a handful of times.

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Wut.  The sax-wielding Kansas City band Merlin manages to evoke both the classic metal of Iron Maiden and the zany prog-rock of Van der Graaf Generator on the astonishing Wizard.  If the lackluster vocalist were supplanted by an appropriately hammy singer in the vein of Bruce Dickinson or Peter Hammill, Wizard might be an instant classic.

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Kansas City’s Sara Morgan makes convincing ‘80s-era country on Average Jane.  RIYL: Pam Tillis, homespun charm, Kathy Mattea.

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Wayne Escoffery demonstrates that it’s still possible to make a mainstream jazz album filled with exciting surprises on Vortex.  RIYL: Branford Marsalis, persistence, John Coltrane.

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Evidence’s Weather or Not is a standard-issue Rhymesayers release, which is to say it’s first-rate hip-hop.  RIYL: Atmosphere, slow flows, Eyedea & Abilities.  Here’s “Jim Dean”.

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“Space Gun”, the title track of the forthcoming Guided by Voices album, is pretty great.

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Ivan Lins and Gilson Peranzzetta collaborate on the understated Cumplicidade.

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Catching arena-ready pop shows in small clubs is disorienting.  I took in a show by the OneRepublic-like Mako and the Joywave-ish Night Lights at RecordBar last night.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

I Might

I have no patience for the several important new albums that were released on Friday.  My obsession with “Slide” is in the way.  The collaboration between Calvin Harris, Migos and Frank Ocean is pure pop bliss.  “Slide” may be the best step dance song since R. Kelly’s joyous 2003 jam “Step in the Name of Love”. 


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I discussed Momma’s Boy on KCUR.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine.

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I address the Janelle Monáe-related snafu that’s distressed much of Kansas City’s music and political communities at Plastic Sax.  I desperately hope that the following artists are the primary targets of the people in charge of the booking the American Jazz Museum’s new $50-per-day festival: A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Childish Gambino, Al Green, Lauryn Hill, Norah Jones, Kendrick Lamar, Diana Ross, Solange and Stevie Wonder.

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I wrote an extended concert preview about Valerie June for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine.

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Larry Coryell has died.

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Leon Ware has died.

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Barbara Carroll has died.

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Blacswet, a self-titled EP featuring Spoek Mathambo, sounds like the soundtrack to George Clinton’s most lucid dream.  RIYL: “Atomic Dog,” European discotheques, Clipping.  (Tip via Big Steve.)

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Charlie Wilson has supplied an inordinately large portion of the soundtrack of my life.  Alas, In It To Win It is disappointing.  Only two or three songs are exceptional.  Here’s ”I’m Blessed”.

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The sparseness of La Diversité fooled me at first.  The open spaces cleverly obscure the depth of the latest effort by the Belgian saxophonist Nicolas Kummert and Lionel Loueke.  RIYL: Chris Potter, eurojazz, Pat Metheny.

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It’s not them; it’s me.  Windy City and Highway Queen, the new albums by Alison Krauss and Nikki Lane, don’t move me.

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Adam Schneit reached out to me about securing coverage of his 2016 album Light Shines In.  I’m pleased to report that it’s superlative progressive jazz in the vein of Bill Frisell and Steve Lacy.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)