Concert Review: Ron Gutierrez at KC Live!

Ron Gutierrez's reputation as the Latin Luther received an enormous boost at the KC Live! stage in the Power & Light district on Sunday.  A woman standing next to me lost her composure during Gutierrez's spot-on rendition of Luther Vandross' "A House Is Not a Home." 

"He's reincarnated!" she screamed.

Backed by a six-piece band, Gutierrez's versions of songs associated with Marvin Gaye, Al Green, the Spinners and the Commodores showcased his incredible voice.  By the time he closed his hour-long set with McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," many in the audience of over 1,500 had forgotten that they had been waiting to hear Bryson.  

I've had the good fortune to hear Gutierrez perform in a variety of contexts.  He appears at jazz clubs, has worked with ensembles led by the late Kerry Strayer including the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and has become a go-to artist for National Anthem duties at professional sporting events.  He never fails to awe his audience.  Gutierrez isn't merely soulful.  His lustrous voice is impossibly pure.

After Sunday's star-making performance opening for Bryson, the Latin Luther may also come to be known as the Maxwell of the Midwest and Kansas City's Nat King Cole.


---
Philip Chevron of the Pogues has died.

---
Doug Ramsey reports that Oscar Castro-Neves has died.

---
I reviewed the 18th & Vine Jazz and Blues Festival. 

---
"Thank God" is Krizz Kaliko's latest video.

---
Cowboy Indian Bear's new video for "Let It Down" is lovely.

---
Here's a video recap of Dancefestopia. 

---
Approach made an 11-minute documentary about the making of his new album.

---
Hidden Pictures has released a new 3-song EP.

---
Marc Myers offers an inside peek at his interview with Ginger Baker.

---
I recently discovered a remarkable "music video" Jimmy Martin made for "20/20 Vision."

---
I suppose I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate Matana Roberts' Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile.  RIYL: John Zorn, advanced degrees, AACM.

---
Ponder the Mystery, William Shatner's new prog-rock album, is a hoot.

---
I cosign OFWGKTA's "Look".

---
Gary Numan is an interesting cat.

---
Riff Raff remains my favorite troll.

---
A new box set containing material Woody Guthrie recorded for the Feds is titled American Radical Patriot.

---
"Am I getting to deep here for you?"- Sonny Rollins.

---
Leron Thomas' new album Whatever is good but not great.  RIYL: Christian Scott, Sean Jones, Harish Raghavan.

---
A coffee table book about Houston's hip hop scene?  That's ridiculous.  But I want it.

---
There Stands the Glass reader BGO encouraged me to share this NPR-sponsored performance by saxophonist Melissa Aldana.  The kid has great ideas.  RIYL: Lee Konitz, Stan Getz, Jimmy Giuffre. 

---
Jill Scott is featured in a video from the Robert Glasper Experiment's forthcoming album.

---
I'm entranced by The City Under the City, the new release by L'Orange & Stik Figa.  Also released today: Anberlin. Jon Batiste, Mary J. Blige, Brandy Clark, Cults, Death Angel, Devin the Dude, Dismemberment Plan, Tim Hecker, Will Hoge, Boldy James, Glenn Lewis, Lucius, Paul McCartney, Morcheeba, Willie Nelson, Gary Numan, Aaron Parks, Pelican, Quadriga Consort, Red Fang, Ralph Towner, Trivium and Young Dro.

---
Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Dave Holland- Prism

Dave Holland was on bass as Miles Davis unleashed the unholy sound that came to be known as jazz fusion.  I've repeatedly acknowledged my uneasy relationship with the genre at this site.  Much of it- including some of the stuff I like- is the worst sort of wankery.  Holland rectifies most of those excesses with the startling new album Prism.  The lineup- guitarist Kevin Eubanks, pianist Craig Taborn, Holland and drummer Eric Harland- isn't afraid to get dirty.  The only embarrassing element of Prism is the cheesy album art.


---
Jackie Lomax has died.

---
Jimmy Ponder has died.

---
Until Friday, I'd never thought much of Mumford & Sons.  The folk band forced me to reevaluate their worth with an excellent performance in Bonner Springs.  Here's my review of the band's final show for the foreseeable future.

---
I reviewed Miguel Zenon's transcendent appearance at the Blue Room last night.  Here's footage of the show.

---
I reviewed Chuck Haddix's Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker at Plastic Sax.

---
Enter the Riddim is the latest album by the Blue Riddim Band.  RIYL: Kansas City music history, Joe Higgs, Trojan Records.

---
Radkey's forthcoming four-song EP Devil Fruit is RIYL the Misfits, the Ramones, Danzig.  And yeah, it's worthy of those comparisons.

---
The administrator of the Middle of the Map Fest's Facebook account recently queried fans about which acts they'd like to see at the 2014 festival.  The organizers' tastes aren't exactly simpatico with my preferences, but here are three artists that meet the aesthetics of both MotM and TSTG that might fall within the festival's budget: Flying Lotus, Gary Numan and Nicolas Jaar.

---
It's nice to see Ron Gutierrez getting a lot of high-profile work.  I'm a fan.

---
"I need a miracle."  Even though it's undoubtedly worth every penny, I just can't pull the trigger on $100 tickets for the Lyric Opera's "The Capulets & the Montagues" starring Joyce DiDonato. 

---
Oh, for Pete's sake.  Eugene Chadbourne has recorded an album of Merle Haggard covers.  It's titled- steel yourself- Merles Just Want To Have Fun.  Here's "I Take a Lot of Pride In Who I Am".  RIYL: making enemies, being alone, straightjackets.

---
Jazz-oriented guitarist Todd Clouser made a rock album.  Man with No Country is RIYL: Marc Ribot, Lou Reed, Charlie Hunter.

---
"Aheym", the title track of Kronos Quartet's forthcoming album, is a powerful piece of music.  RIYL: Bryce Dessner, high drama, string quartets.

---
Travel Guide, the new Ralph Towner album, promises to be lovely.  RIYL: acoustic Pat Metheny, guitar shops, Paco de Lucía.

---
I opted for an R&B concert over Rancid's appearance in Lawrence last Saturday.  Thankfully, a fan shot some video.

---
No disrespect for the senseless death of Ella, but Cemetery Deer would be an excellent band name.

---
After I give the latest release by Rhymes-with-Lake (the rapper's attorneys have forced Google to send me cease-and-desist notifications for simply mentioning his name at this site) a fair shot, I intend to get around to today's new releases by Alan Jackson, Pete Anderson, Black Label Society, Deer Tick, Gov't Mule, Ha Ha Tonka, Elton John, Tim Kasher, Jimmy LaFave, Mazzy Star, Bill O'Connell & the Latin Jazz All-Stars, Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band, the Raybeats, Danya Stephens, Touche Amore, Rokia Traore, Allen Toussaint and John Zorn & Thurston Moore.

---
Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass  Hey, Mr. Holland- you can use the embedded photo for your next album cover.)