Willy DeVille, 1950-2009

Goodbye.

Garland Jeffreys. Robert Gordon. Gary U.S. Bonds. Joe Gruschecky. I discovered each of them through Bruce Springsteen. Bruce was among my favorite performers during my formative years. I accumulated albums by artists with any kind of affiliation with the star. That's how I discovered Willy DeVille, or more precisely, Mink DeVille, his band at the time. Although DeVille never developed more than a cult following in the United States, it's certainly not because he wasn't worthy of wider recognition. Just check, for instance, the credits on Victory Mixture. It's loaded with stars of soul, blues, funk and the New Orleans sound- Wayne Bennett, Eddie Bo, Dr. John, Leo Nocentelli and Allen Toussaint play on the 1990 date. DeVille died August 6.

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I take no pleasure in throwing a miniscule wrench in the marketing machinery, but watching a crass sales pitch for The Beatles: Rock Band on a home shopping channel Sunday night made me nauseous.

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I identify the single most encouraging moment of 2009 on the Kansas City jazz scene over at Plastic Sax.

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I encountered The Kansas City Bear Fighters for the first time last week. I can't wait to catch these oddballs again.

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Kansas City Click: Consider the Source and Mouth get jammy Tuesday at the Czar Bar.

Review: Sugarland's Live On the Inside

60-second advertisement at YouTube

Sometimes it seems as if "Don't Stop Believin'" is the biggest song of 2009. The Journey staple is often used to escort audiences out of arenas after concerts. I also saw it unite a crowd of 46,000 baseball fans at Dodger Stadium earlier this week.

Anyone wondering about the potential source of new songs in the tradition of "Don't Stop Believin'" needs to get hip to Sugarland. Don't be fooled by the mandolins or the twang of vocalist Jennifer Nettles. Sugarland is the new Journey. Their new DVD/CD Live On the Inside, is brimming with gargantuan melodies, universal lyrics and delectable, Journey-flavored cheese.

Almost all of Sugarland's songs demand to be sung by drunks in dives, tweens at slumber parties and celebrants at pre-game parking lot barbecues. They're that good. "Steve Earle," a ditty about the songwriter's wives, is one of the few songs that doesn't apply.

As one would expect, the concert footage showcases the band at their loose, fun-loving best. Clever renditions of songs by Beyonce, the B52's, Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam and R.E.M. demonstrate the band's crossover approach.

In fact, most Sugarland fans are probably more familiar with Aerosmith than with Willie Nelson. And I guarantee that almost all of them know the words to "Don't Stop Believin'."

Live On the Inside is a Wal-Mart exclusive. Buy it for $12 here.

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Former Kansas City, Kansan, and There Stands the Glass favorite Mad Marlon has a new video for "Say My Name".

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My friend Jason is amused that the word verification for his most recent comment at Plastic Sax was "UNCOL." Here's a screenshot. The indignities I face as a jazz blogger...

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Here's a virtual diary entry I wrote about getting kicked out of record stores.

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Kansas City Click: The Pitch's annual music showcase goes down Thursday in Westport.

Atmosphere was great last time around. They're at the Beaumont on Friday.

Alaadeen hits the Blue Room on Saturday.

Motley Crue's extravaganza comes to the Sprint Center on Sunday.

Billy Lee Riley, 1933-2009

Farewell.

"My gal is red hot. Your gal ain't doodley squat." Rockabilly boasts thousands of great lyrics, but perhaps none are better than Billy Lee Riley's "Red Hot". The rockabilly giant died August 2. The Los Angeles Times' fascinating obituary of Riley recounts a great story about Riley's reaction to Sam Phillips' alleged suppression of the song. It's worth noting that much of Riley's original Sun sessions are pure blues. The instrumental "Thunderbird" is just plain greasy.

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While in Los Angeles earlier this week, I heard a DJ play a track from a Jerry Garcia solo album. It was shockingly great. I'd never heard the Bert Jansch-style psychedelic folk-rock song. I'm quite agitated that I'm now compelled to dig into Garcia's catalog, a project I never expected to undertake.

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Kansas City Click: Longtime rivals for the title of Kansas City's premier melodic metal band, Red Line Chemistry and The Leo Project battle tonight on the Power & Light stage.

Review: Krizz Kaliko's Genius

"Kali, baby!"

Krizz Kaliko's catchphrase is already familiar to tens of thousands of Tech N9ne fans. But will Genius, the Kansas City rapper's highly anticipated second album, succeed in making his "Kali, baby" refrain a universally beloved gimmick?

The first week's sales numbers from Billboard indicate that many loyal "Technicians" (ugh) immediately snatched up the album. Genius debuted at #3 on the rap album chart and at #85 on the overall Top 200.

Unlike an infinitely more celebrated Kansas City scribe, I'm not prepared to declare Genius a work of, well, genius. It's good- several moments are really good. But it's far from flawless.

The most immediately engaging song on the album is "Misundertood". My affection for the track, however, is tempered by its alarming resemblance to Janelle Monae's "Many Moons".

Similarly, "Get Off" sounds like a discarded R. Kelly track. The autobiographical "Bipolar" could be mistaken for Andre 3000. And "Choir Boy" is just one of several tracks that evoke Gnarls Barkley. "The Chemical" melds the signature styles of Prince and Nine Inch Nails.

Kaliko clearly has excellent taste. And that leads to another interesting issue raised by Genius. Musically, it sounds like the best-ever Tech N9ne album. So, does Kaliko sound like Tech N9ne? Or has Tech N9ne ridden to the top on his sidekick Kaliko's "genius"?

Not to take anything away from proven savvy of Tech N9ne, but my best guess is that it's all about "Kali, baby."

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A week after catching their show, I'm still thinking about Slayer. I'm also looking forward to the Get Up Kids reunion tour. Reggie and the Full Effect's cover of "Raining Blood" brilliantly combines two of my current obsessions.

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The hilarious video for Colourmusic's "Yes!" gives a fairly accurate depiction of life here in the central Midwest.

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A friend reports that John Doe and the Sadies performed "There Stands the Glass" at their show in Lawrence this week. Here's a rendition from a recent gig.

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Kansas City Click: Megan Birdsall sings Wednesday at Jardine's.

Elaine McMillian has assembled a particularly noteworthy lineup of songwriters for her weekly Thursday gig at The Czar Bar.

Friday's Monsters of Metal blowout at the Uptown includes Plague Of Sinai, Feast For Flesh, Soundplay, Watching The Coroner, There's No I In Murder, Gangstas With Cap Guns, The Tards, Marasmus, Moire and At the Left Hand of God. Awesome.

Ad Astra Per Aspera perform Saturday at the Crossroads Info Center.

Millage Gilbert is at Winslow's on Sunday.

The Peoples Liberation Big Band return to the Record Bar on Sunday.

This Song Is For the Ladies

"This song is for the ladies," Corpsegrinder advised the audience. "It's called 'Stripped, Raped and Strangled'."

I laughed so hard that many of the pierced and tattooed people surrounding me undoubtedly wanted to crack my skull.

They probably thought I was laughing at Cannibal Corpse. I was. But I was also laughing with them. The death metal band's set at Tuesday's Mayhem Festival was one of my favorite performances of the year. Here's my glowing review.

What on earth is wrong with me? I recognize that it's unconscionable to endorse such ugly and hateful concepts. Needless to say, I strenuously oppose violence. But that doesn't change the fact that horrific things constantly occur in my city and around the world.

Extreme sounds, whether they're emitted by Cannibal Corpse or Ornette Coleman, serve to acknowledge difficult aspects of the world around me. I'm receptive to those truths.

That doesn't mean that I don't also embrace the beautiful and the lightweight. Tonight, in fact, I'll attend a show by Loren Pickford (see below), Keith Anderson, and/or the double bill of Ratt and Extreme. I'll have a good time at whichever gig I choose- even if I don't hear a single song about evisceration.

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Supe Granda is surely one of the most popular guys in the Midwest. Everybody loves him, myself included. Here's a nice essay about (the original) OMD in No Depression.

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Kansas City Click: Loren Pickford will play all original music Thursday at the Blue Room.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Exit 159 at The Record Bar

I missed Exit 159.

I don't recall everything I was listening to in 1998, but Exit 159 was not in the mix. After catching one of the band's reunion shows Saturday, I regret being oblivious to Exit 159 the first time around.

Frogpond was once the talk of the Midwest. Like most everyone else around here, I figured they'd make it big. In more recent years, I became a fan of ex-Frogpond member Kristie Stremel.

Based on the band's performance at the Record Bar, I now know that Exit 159 represents Stremel's sturdiest vehicle. I've always heard her songs as variations on Tom Petty's Damn the Torpedoes. The guys in Exit 159 act as Stremel's Heartbreakers.

The approach isn't trendy or innovative but it's guaranteed to always sound good. I don't intend to miss out again.

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Friends tell me that 72 Musicians makes them proud to be part of Kansas City's music scene. There's a trailer for the documentary at the link.

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We Were Promised Jetpacks are more than a just a great name.

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I enjoy Incubus. Here's my review of their Sunday concert.

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Kansas City Click: Mayhem strikes Sandstone Tuesday.

(Original image of Exit 159 by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Matisyahu at Crossroads

Well, that was weird.

I discovered that Matisyahu's show would begin ninety minutes earlier than usual just a couple hours before his concert began. I never quite got comfortable Friday after scrambling to get to the venue in time.

Attendance was down accordingly. Only about 600 people were on hand during the star's set. (Much respect to Matisyahu for abiding by his religious convictions, incidentally.) As with the last time I saw Matisyahu, a significant percentage of the audience was there primarily because of their faith affiliation. (It was the first "rock concert" for one fifty-ish man of my acquaintance.)

I was so discombobulated by the situation that I don't even recall Matisyahu playing his signature song "Jerusalem".

He was backed by Dub Trio. That was dope. He was also accompanied by a jam-oriented guitarist and keyboard player. That was dopey.

The 85-minute performance felt like a battle between the two camps. The jam material- especially one awful song that included an "assist" by a member of Umphrey's McGee- was insufferable. A couple extended dub freakouts, however, verged on transcendent.

The novelty angle is fading for Matisyahu. His strong new single, "One Day", serves as further validation that he's undeniably a gifted artist. I just wish, for my own personal taste, that he'd start to distance himself from the jam band thing. Why not drop the Phish infatuation entirely and tour with Damian Marley, Snoop Dogg, Wilco or Willie Nelson?

Maybe then I'd be able to settle in.

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I caught Chris Isaak's show Thursday. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: Gomez return to Kansas City for a Monday show at The Beaumont.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: True To the Game

At least it's not a no-hitter.

Only Snoop Dogg's solid swagger on one song salvages True To the Game.

The February release, which currently resides at the bottom of Amazon's album sales chart, benefits Kansas City's Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

It's almost incomprehensible that a new release featuring exclusive tracks from the top stars of hip hop and R&B is currently ranked as Amazon's #434,282 best-selling album. It's either a marketing boondoggle of epic proportions or the project has deliberately been buried. (Because the album is featured on the museum's home page, I suspect it's the former.)

Yung Joc's opening track illustrates the problematic nature of the album. It's a crude extended sexual metaphor: "Keep your hands on the bat/Your eyes on the balls/Let me hear you say my name,baby/Go and take it all." That's probably not a message endorsed by the museum.

G.L.C. and Kanye West contribute "Big Screen." The amusing throwaway resembles a discarded demo version of "Good Life." Tracks featuring Ludacris, Big Boi, Chingy and Ray J also sound like tracks that weren't quite good enough for the artists' official albums. Raiyn and Talib Kweli's ballad "Flyaway," an apparent homage to Lionel Richie, is better. And "Still Hurts" serves as a reminder that Macy Gray is one of the most compelling vocalists of our time.

That leaves Snoop's "Tha Big Leagues." It's the sole track that directly addresses the Negro Leagues. It's a treat hearing Snoop name-check Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson and Cool Papa Bell in his distinctive drawl.

"It is what it is," Snoop suggests. "We always hit home runs... this could be a single though."

As usual, Snoop knows the score.

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I've also been monitoring True To the Game at Plastic Sax.

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I'm pleased when the #1 album in the United States is also my favorite album of the moment. Maxwell's latest release is extraordinary.

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Forgive me for doing this to you, but I've realized that the only way I can get this hideous earworm out of my head is by passing it on to you. It's been eating away at my brain since I heard it on a classic rock radio station Monday.

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Kansas City Click: There's no cover for Cory Morrow's gig tonight on the Power & Light stage.

Good ol' Sam Bush plays a free concert in Olathe Friday. Here's some fan footage from his appearance at the same park last year.

Sonic Youth make a glorious noise Saturday at the Uptown. Here's my favorite SY jam.

Incubus and The Duke Spirit entertain the masses Sunday at City Market.

(Original image of the marquee of the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Faster Horses at The Record Bar

Whoa!

I previewed and witnessed Pendergast's final show last December. It's only natural, consequently, that I caught the public debut of Tony Ladesich's new band, Faster Horses, Saturday night.

Their first show was a stampede of rip-snorting guitars and galloping rhythms. (I'm so, so sorry.) There were funny moments, too. The guys once referred to themselves as "Fatter Hosses." The members of Faster Horses are no longer young colts. But neither are they candidates for the glue factory.

Rugged work horses, Faster Horses celebrate life's small victories through their obvious love of rock'n'roll. Until they establish a MySpace account, I'll suggest that Faster Horses' sound falls somewhere between "Powderfinger" and "Up On Cripple Creek".

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How is it that I only discovered that Alacranes Musical played in my town Saturday when I watched Sabado Gigante on DVR the next day? So much for thinking I'm plugged in...

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My friend BGO scolded me for failing to note the passing of Drake Levin. The guitarist for Paul Revere & the Raiders died July 4.

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I'm trying as hard as I can to irritate all seven readers of Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: I haven't checked recent set lists, so I don't know if my favorite Yes song will be played Tuesday at the Uptown Theater.

(Original image of Faster Horses by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Party In the Park

Kansas City's free concert-in-the-parks series had an indelible impact on my musical upbringing. Seeing a handful of national jazz acts every summer made an enormous impression on me.

Alas, budget cuts, combined with the diminished relevance of jazz, killed the concept. My strong sense of nostalgia insured that I wouldn't miss the evening segment of Saturday's city-sponsored Party In the Park at Swope Park.

The night's best performer was Irv Da Phenom, (above) who offered a clever combination of R&B, hip hop and dance music similar to the highly-anticipated new Krizz Kaliko album.

Incidentally, Irv also vlogs. I recommend his reporting from Taste of Troost, the excellent blowout I raved about at There Stands the Glass on July 6.
















The unaccountably meager crowd of about 700 wasn't feeling Jae Casino. His flossing about flashy clothes (that's him in the dark shirt above.) didn't sit well with the unassuming crowd that was battling the stifling heat. For what it's worth, I liked his set.




















I didn't care for Fidelity (above). They embody everything I don't like about contemporary R&B. I give them credit, however, for opening their show with a fine Michael Jackson tribute.

(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Gilby Clarke- Something's Wrong With You

Wrong.

As I ponder all the great live music I've experienced this year, I continue to flash back to Duff McKagan's raw trash-rock set at Rockfest. (Here's some excellent fan footage of Corey Taylor's guest spot.) The memory compelled me to dig out Gilby Clarke's 1998 album Rubber. It's also aging well. Like his fellow Guns N' Roses bandmate, Clarke's under the influence of the Stooges, Exile-era Stones and the New York Dolls.

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Michael's gone. Prince is lost. Marvin is a memory. Fear not- Maxwell's BLACKsummer'snight is a powerful anecdote to the pain felt by fans of soul music. It might just be my top album of 2009.

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Yesterday found me too delirious to read and too nauseous to sleep. So I watched Fuse's spotlight on Blink-182. Being sick has its benefits. I hadn't thought about "Feeling This" for five years. Man, I love that song! I never though I'd say this, but I'm actually looking forward to catching Blink's reunion tour.

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Kansas City Click: James Otto brings the twang to Power & Light's stage tonight.

Sparlha Swa appears at Dream Studio on Friday.

My friend Tony debuts his new band Faster Horses Saturday at The Record Bar. Slim Dunlap's new band is also on the bill.

From Villains Dance's MySpace: We are a cover band as of right now, playing Judas Priest, Queensryche, Doobie Bro's, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Dokken, Warrant, Skid Row, Stone Temple Pilots, Coheed & Cambria, AC/DC, Scorpions... ect ect... Dudes! Who's up for catching these brahs with me Sunday night at the Red Balloon?

Review: The Whomping Willows

What in the name of Voldemort is going on? I was transported to a bizarre world ruled by happy nerds yesterday.

The Whomping Willows and The Remus Lupins participated in a "PotterCast" at Johnson County's Central Resource Library.

While I genuinely like the Harry Potter books and movies, I attended out of morbid curiosity. I received plenty of dirty looks, consequently, when I guffawed at some of the absurd rituals on display. In a pre-show trivia contest, for instance, contestants identified themselves by their "wizard names" and their "house." I also freaked out when a girl won a prize by reciting the full name of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

I was ultimately charmed, however, by the sweet innocence exhibited by the audience of about 150. The music? Not so much. The Whomping Willows sounded like a cross between Jonathan Richman and Mitchel Musso. Decide for yourself- here's a self-referential video. I didn't stick around for the Remus Lupins.

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Kansas City Click: Am I man enough to experience Sunn O))) tonight at the Riot Room?

(Original image of autographed shirt by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Taste of Troost

Do you recognize the man pictured above? Until Saturday, I only knew his face from the covers of DVDs and albums.

The self-proclaimed "Ghetto Russell Simmons," Rich the Factor is the biggest Kansas City hip hop artist not named Tech N9ne, Mac Lethal or Fat Tone. And yet I'd never seen him. The details of his relatively rare performances are often, well, a little sketchy.

That's one reason I spent about four hours at Saturday's wonderful Taste of Troost festival. It was the first time I'd seen live performances by Rich the Factor and other artists including Skiem, Rappin' Twan, Miss G and Hustle.

They were all good, but I most appreciated the appearances by D-Locc Da Chop, Cash Image, Sliccs Gotcha (pictured below), rock band Making Movies and underground Oakland legend Killa Tay.

Much of the day's music may have been gangster-oriented, but for vast majority of the thousand people who took it in, it was a convivial street party.



















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Kansas City Click: I'm seriously considering catching The Whomping Willows tonight at Johnson County's Central Resource Library.

(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Jaki Byard- L.H. Gateway Rag

Gate closed.

It's not easy being a jazz guy in 2009.

I'm mercilessly mocked by associates who are mystified by my interest in the so-called dead art form. And much of the jazz community can't understand how I can also love the likes of Nas, AC/DC and Merle Haggard.

Some of the disconnect, perhaps, has to do with the loss of the great tricksters of jazz. Guys like Charles Mingus, Henry Threadgill, Lester Bowie and Jaki Byard regularly made raucous, genre-bending music that was genuinely funny.

This wooly track from an out-of-print 1978 session is propelled by Major Holley's tuba and Byard's odd ragtime goof. They even laugh out loud at 2:05. That experimental sense of fun is largely absent in jazz today. Just check out the angry comments to this stupendous live '65 video. What happened to our progressive sense of adventure?

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I chose Shakespeare over Jonathan Richman on Monday. Luckily, some great fan footage is available. This clip includes JoJo's explanation of why the venue's air conditioning was turned off. Had I been there, I might have wrung his neck.

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A dude recently posted a 1980 live recording of The Who at YouTube. The bootleg documents the first time I saw The Who. The Pretenders opened the concert.

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Jason Harper laments the announcement that Shawnee's Needmore Discs will close in August.

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The Village Voice profiles "fledgling R&B superstar" and native of Kansas City, Kansas, Janelle Monae.

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Last week I battled rush hour traffic by shamelessly singing along with "When Will I See You Again." Yes, I even did the "precious moments' bit. Fayette Pinkney of the Three Degrees died last week. She was 61. (Tip via BGO.)

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Kansas City Click: I might ask the women in long dresses if I can borrow their hula hoops tonight at Carbon Leaf's free concert at Crossroads KC.

I plan to check out Taste of Troost on the Fourth.

Jazz guitarist Jerry Hahn returns to Jardine's on Sunday.

Turn My Swag On: Music Midway in 2009

The 25 Best Shows of 2009 (so far)
I've seen 176 individual live performances in 2009. These 25 are my favorites.
1. Nas and Damian Marley- Beaumont Club
2. Esperanza Spalding- Folly Theater
3. Steve Coleman- Blue Room
4. AC/DC- Sprint Center
5. Solange- VooDoo Lounge
6. The People's Liberation Big Band- The Pistol
7. Kris Kristofferson- Uptown Theater
8. Fito Olivares- Crown Center
9. Tony Bennett- Midland Theater
10. Lil Wayne- Sprint Center
11. The Architects- multiple locations
12. Heartless Bastards- Beaumont Club
13. Rancid- Uptown Theater
14. Aterciopelados- Beaumont Club
15. Slipknot- Sprint Center
16. Kansas City Symphony with Emanuel Ax- Lyric Theater
17. Tech N9ne- Sandstone
18, The Blue Note 7- Gem Theater
19. Saving Abel- Rockfest
20. Karrin Allyson- Jardine's
21. Stik Figa- Beaumont
22. Eddie and the Hot Rods- Record Bar
23. Dead Rock West- Knuckleheads
24. Chris Cornell- VooDoo Lounge
25. Craig Morgan- Power & Light District

The 10 Best Singles of 2009 (so far)
I favor pop songs that make me laugh, cry or want to smash stuff up.
1. Maxwell- "Pretty Wings"
2. Regina Spektor- "Laughing With"
3. Kid Cudi- "Day 'N' Nite"
4. Gorilla Zoe- "Lost"
5. Soulja Boy- "Turn My Swag On"
6. The Lonely Island- "I'm On a Boat"
7. Eric Church- "Love Your Love the Most"
8. Taking Back Sunday- "Sink Into Me"
9. Scooter Smiff- "Head of My Class"
10. GS Boyz- "Stanky Legg"

The Five Best Songs of 2009 By Kansas City-area Artists (so far)
1. XV- "A.D.D."
2. Tech N9ne- "Blown Away"
3. Krizz Kaliko- "Misunderstood"
4. Ron Ron- "Hey Honey"
5. The ACBs- "You Did It Once"

The Ten Best Albums of 2009 (so far)
1. P.O.S.- Never Better
2. Sonic Youth- The Eternal
3. Mike Farris- Shout!
4. Heartless Bastards- The Mountain
5. Joe Lovano- Folk Art
6. Rick Ross- Deeper Than Rap
7. Green Day- 21st Century Breakdown
8. The Life and Times- Tragic Boogie
9. Bob Dylan- Together Through Life
10. Mac Lethal- Love Potion 5

(Original image of Los Desperadoz by There Stands the Glass.)

Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

"I Want You Back." Michael Jackson was always a part of my life. "ABC." I bought the 45. The Jackson 5ive. The Saturday morning cartoon series wasn't as nearly good as Fat Albert or as mind-blowing as Land of the Lost, but I watched it religiously. "Ben." The theme song from a creepy movie really hit home for me. It remains my favorite MJ song. "Dancing Machine." Girls are starting to become interesting. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Driving. Dating. Drinking. "Billie Jean." Cable television changed everything. And not for the better. "Remember the Time." The 1992 hit marked the end of my run with Michael's new music. And yes, if you must know, I shed a few tears after I heard the news. I cried for both of us. "Most people would turn you away/I don't listen to a word they say./They don't see you as I do/I wish they would try to."

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I caught Talib Kweli's disastrous "show" Thursday night. Here's my review. Nas and Damian Marley's collaboration Friday will likely be my top show of 2009. Here's my review. I attended the Kansas City Kansas Street Blues Festival on Saturday. Here's my review. Last night, I caught Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band with Deep Sea Diver and Michael Runion. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: "Roadrunner roadrunner!" Jonathan Richman may or may not perform his seminal song when he appears tonight at The Record Bar.

AfterGroove play jazz fusion at Jardine's on Tuesday.

Tim Krekel, 1950-2009

Goodbye.

For every Tom Petty or Dierks Bentley, there are at least a thousand Tim Krekels. The fine journeyman roots musician died yesterday. Here's a nice tribute from his hometown of Louisville. The sad "Loss To Explain" is from 2007's power-pop-oriented Happy Town. This charming live footage of Krekel was shot in 2007. (Tip via BGO.)

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Sky Saxon of The Seeds died today. Here's an appropriately lo-fi live video shot last November.

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Hear me sputtering and stammering about the state of Kansas City's jazz scene on the archived version of KCUR's Up To Date.

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Kansas City Click: Talib Kweli, Pete Rock and Reach band together tonight at Crossroads.

Nas (or as a local promoter called him in an email solicitation yesterday, "Noz"), Damian Marley and K'Naan team up Friday at the Beaumont.

The Kansas City Kansas Street Blues Festival runs Friday and Saturday.

The Lonely H, a band featured at There Stands the Glass in 2007, are bound to puzzle the regulars at Jerry's Bait Shop come Sunday.

Johnny Maddox- Indianola

No more piano.

Although he sold millions of units and has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Johnny Maddox, 81, seems to be almost entirely forgotten today. The "King of Ragtime," 81, explains his career in this video. It's an amazing document on several different levels. In the excellent liner notes of Cowboys and Indians, Maddox explains that "Indianola" is a "World War I song about the Indian Chief that wanted to scalp the Kaiser." Yeah, it makes me squirm a bit too, but the 1984 recording is quite charming.

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The ill-conceived and unrelentingly cynical B Is For Bob makes me very angry. I listened to the entire "Kidz Bop"-esque project, however, largely because the sound quality is the most astonishingly vivid Bob Marley album I've encountered.

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I had reserved a spot on my year-end top ten list for Far, Regina Spektor's new album. Boy, am I disappointed! It features even more of the irritating vocal tics that I'd hoped she'd abandoned. "Folding Chair,"' for instance, includes the line "I've got a perfect body but sometimes I for-ge-eh-eh-eh-eh-et." And then she makes goofy dolphin sounds. Cute? Try annoying. I still believe "Laughing With" is a song for the ages, however.

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Ali Akbar Khan has died.

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I wouldn't be surprised if David Cook agreed with my assessment of his homecoming performance Saturday. Even so, I knew I'd catch heat from Cook's ardent supporters in the comments. It's good stuff.

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I understand hysterical fandom- I squealed like a nine-year-old Hannah Montana fan when I learned that The Pogues were coming to Kansas City. I've yet to see them.

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Tech N9ne has a "featured playlist" at MySpace. It includes "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Riders On the Storm," System of a Down, Jamie Foxx, King Gordy, Collie Buddz, Avenged Sevenfold and the theme from Halloween.

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I'm pleased that there's finally a Black Eyed Peas' hit that I can feel good about.

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Kansas City Click: Olympic Size play Tuesday at Czar Bar.

Phoenix play a "secret" show Wednesday at The Record Bar.

Sonia Dada- Paradise

Paradise lost.

Barry Beckett died last week. The man was so pervasive that he played on or produced at least a dozen tracks that have been featured at There Stands the Glass. One of his later credits is as co-producer of Sonia Dada's My Secret Life. I've heard people talk trash about the band because of the founder's background. Behind-the-scenes intrigue doesn't interest me much. It's the music that matters. And while I'm not a big fan of jam-flavored R&B, Sonia Dada was undeniably skilled in the genre. As heard here, Beckett brought out the best in them.

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I almost drove off the road when I heard "Love In the Hot Afternoon" during an oldies segment on a country radio station today. The Gene Watson song romanticizes an illicit exchange with a "Bourbon Street lady." After "we got high in the park this morning," the narrator explains, they consummated their encounter. The (possibly underage) woman then slumbers "in damp, tangled sheets." The song hit #3 in the country charts in 1975. That couldn't happen in today's climate.

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Here's an obituary of Jack Nimitz. I discussed his career in this space on June 11. Saxophonist Charlie Mariano has also passed. Here's a loose live date with guitarist Phllip Catherine. And Bob Bogle of the Ventures has died. (Tips via BGO.)

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I adored Karrin Allyson's early set at Jardine's last night. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: Chris Hillman appears at Knuckleheads on Thursday.

Zany art kids are responsible for the fourteen-band Chomp Womp Soda Fest Friday at the Pistol and the Foundation. Here's a taste of last year's shenanigans.

Blue October serve as one of David Cook's opening acts Saturday at Sandstone.

A bevy of local blues bands play a benefit show Sunday afternoon at BB's Lawnside BBQ.

Review: Eric Church at Country In the Woods

"Give me a crowd that's redneck and loud," Eric Church demands on "How 'Bout You".

He didn't get it Sunday at Country In the Woods. Only a small percentage of men at the free concert could relate to lines like "my best blue jeans have Skoal rings" in "Guys Like Me". The sedate, family-oriented crowd was worlds removed from the honky tonks where Church's music rings truest.

So when Church suggested that the audience of about 1,500 "Pledge Allegiance To the Hag", he didn't find many takers.

Church was opening for Emerson Drive. I have a weakness for their big hit "Moments", but it frustrates me that softer-edged artists of their ilk are favored by the country music establishment while new proponents of the outlaw tradition continue to struggle. The alt-country crowd doesn't offer much support, either. They don't dig Church's irony-free patriotism and proud religious faith.

Don't worry, Eric. Sinners like me intend to stick with you.

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What a weekend! I saw Rancid, the Riverboat Gamblers and Rise Against on Friday (I concur with this assessment), Summer Jam on Saturday (here's my review) and Church's show.

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Kansas City Click: The Blue Room hosts a jam session every Monday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Joe Williams- The Perfect Stranger

We never met.

I don't want to bury the man prematurely, but word in jazz circles is that saxophonist Jack Nimitz has passed away. He was one of the original members of California's cool school. While he was a legit jazz cat, he seemed to make a living as a session musician. In other words, Nimitz was "a perfect stranger." Check out the ridiculous list of credits on just the second of his three-page discography at AllMusic. It includes Neil Diamond, Stan Kenton, Ruth Brown, Natalie Cole, the Beach Boys, Michael Bolton and Nina Simone. And then there's this delectable slice of cheese. Nimitz may or may not have participated on this relatively obscure 1965 Joe Williams session. They're compiled on this sketchy out-of-print title. (Tip via BGO.)

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The new album by Kansas City's mighty Architects is streaming at MySpace.

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*My current obsession is Mobb Deep's "Eye For an Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)".

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LaLa is changing my life.

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*I'm positively ecstatic that Mojo magazine gave my Kansas City jazz site, Plastic Sax, a modest write-up in its June issue.

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Kansas City Click: British R&B group The New Mastersounds appear at Crosstown Station tonight.

Robert Moore of Sonic Spectrum curates an anniversary party at The Record Bar Friday and Saturday.

KPRS' Summer Jam returns to Sandstone on Saturday.

*Kirk Whalum appears at a Juneteenth celebration Sunday.

Will Dailey- Never Be Your Baby (live)

Good luck, Will!

It's only appropriate that as I sadly note the recent losses of singer-songwriters Kenny Rankin and Jeff Hanson I spotlight an exceptionally promising newcomer from the same tradition. While neither as mellow as Rankin nor as insular as Hanson, Will Dailey shares the melodic sensibility and respect for the art of song that marked the careers of both late artists.

Torrent, Volumes 1 & 2, Dailey's new major label release, will immediately appeal to fans of the commercial roots-rock trinity of Counting Crows, Matchbox Twenty and Train. A couple of Dailey's songs also evoke the soulful side of Jason Mraz.

But hipsters need not turn away in horror. The album brims with power pop jangle. Besides, Roger McGuinn is in the house! The brawny live track featured here pays homage to Phil Spector via Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen.

Dailey dismissively sings "we want riches,darlin'/we want fame" on "Down the Drain." Whether he wants it or not, Torrents is precisely the type of undeniable statement that precedes untold glory.

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Regina Spektor has one of the most annoyingly obsessive audiences I've encountered. Her freakish fans give me the creeps. But the joke's on me. Between the adorable new video for "Dance Anthem of the '80s" and the devastatingly brilliant new "Laughing With", I'm on the verge of becoming one of those cultish weirdos.

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I really like the new retro-style albums by Rancid and The Aggrolites.

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Before you ask, I have nothing strikingly original to add to the DJ Jazzy Jeff controversy.

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Kansas City Click: I'm tempted to take a peek inside Jardine's tonight to catch a bit of the site-less Carol Comer.

The Crystal Method will blow speakers / be asked to play a different kind of music do whatever it is they do Wednesday at The Beaumont Club.

(Image of Will Dailey by Eat My Design.)

Review: Audiovox At Crosstown Station

Primarily because the two members of Audiovox are in my larger circle of acquaintances, I spent much of Friday night at Crosstown Station.

It was a rare instance of finding myself moving in the right circles.

That Audiovox was good was to be expected. Marty Bush and Brad Chancellor are veterans of several highly respected bands. What's surprising is Audiovox's sound. They're like a tougher- but no less melodic- version of Death Cab For Cutie.

Just because Audiovox also knows their way around Bob Mould's catalog doesn't mean that the songs on their forthcoming EP aren't ready for Top 40 radio. Audiovox is a pop band.

As a laptop emitted pleasant electronic gurgles, the duo showcased their seamless commercial viablity. With the proper exposure, Audiovox won't be playing to audience of just forty people much longer.

Audiovox's CD release show is Friday, June 12, at The Riot Room.






















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Kansas City Click: Gregory Isaacs croons at the Beaumont Club on Monday.

(Original images by There Stands the Glass.

Katie Webster- I Feel So Low

Thanks Koko. Thanks Katie.

I consider myself very fortunate to have seen Koko Taylor perform many times. There was nothing like standing a few feet away as she began her shows with a mighty roar. Her voice contained a profound mix of joy, rage, lust and pain. She truly was, as one of her album titles suggested, a force of nature. Taylor died yesterday.

Because Taylor was featured at There Stands the Glass in 2007, I'll turn my attention to the late Katie Webster. While her sound and sensibility was vastly different from Taylor's, both women were outstanding, occasionally bawdy, blues entertainers. Much of that rare spirit is captured in this live performance.

Less known than her later work, Webster's out-of-print '5os Louisiana recordings for J.D. "Jay" Miller are outstanding examples of bluesy swamp pop.

As I suggested to a grieving friend yesterday, we might take solace by treasuring the handful of original giants still among us. Here in Kansas City, 92-year-old Myra Taylor certainly qualifies. Here's a new profile of the jazz and blues performer.

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Sam Butera died Wednesday. I intended to catch his show in Vegas. It's too late now.

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Jason Harper interrogates wacky kids who showed up nine hours early for tonight's Third Eye Blind show at The Uptown Theater.

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Kansas City Click: "International Harvester" is my favorite Craig Morgan song. I hope to sing along with Morgan tonight at the Power & Light District.

Ruben Ramos croons Friday at Guadalupe Center.

The legendary Sly & Robbie visit The Folly Theater on Saturday.

Reunited noisemakers Coalesce are among acts appearing Sunday at the American Waste festival at The Beaumont.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band- Five Aquariums

Drained.

One of the most encouraging trends in recent years is the gravitation of young hipsters to funk-oriented jazz. And music in that category doesn't get much funkier, or jazzier, than The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. It's a limited sample size, but I'm delighted to watch as several teenagers I know get behind New Orleans brass bands. There's hope yet. "Five Aquariums" is taken from Ears To the Wall, a promo-only title from 1996.

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I just stumbled upon this 1982 video of the Blue Riddim Band. It documents one of the most glorious moments in the history of the Kansas City music scene. (Don't miss the time stamp.) While I have no recollection of having been in attendance, I think that the goofball at 0:38 might be me.

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I'm enjoying Steve Pick's excellent "Albums of My Life" series at Lockwood & Summit.

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Here's my review of Rockfest.

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My life is simpler now that I've switched my Kansas City Jazz Calendar over to a Google Calendar format.

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Kansas City Click: Barclay Martin appears at Jardine's tonight.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs come to The Beaumont Club Wednesday.

Review: Joe Lovano's Folk Art

Joe Lovano- "Dibango" (LaLa.com stream)

I'm mad at Esperanza Spalding.

I'd been perfectly content to ignore almost all of Joe Lovano's output. Sure, I'd admired everything I'd heard by the acclaimed jazz saxophonist, but I thought I had him covered by owning just a couple of the 22 albums he's issued as a leader for Blue Note Records.

Then Spalding came along. I acquired Folk Art only because I was curious about Spalding's contribution. I shamelessly swooned over the young bassist earlier this month. I wanted to hear how she'd fit in with some of the world's premier musicians.

Spalding's effort, along with the entire album, is incredible. The sound is reminiscent of the best free jazz recordings from the ECM and HatHut labels. Spalding chugs along just as naturally as an inspired Charlie Haden. Lovano's band seems to have Henry Threadgill and late Coltrane in mind on the skronkiest tracks.

Now I feel compelled to invest an insane amount of time and money on the rest of Lovano's catalog. Thanks a lot, Esperanza!

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I geeked out over plastic saxes today at, um, Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: Jason Ricci headlines what's being billed as the first weekend blues show at The Record Bar tonight.

I'll be one of the thousands of fat, sweaty dudes at Rockfest Saturday.

The Wild Women of Kansas City return to Jardine's on Sunday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass. As reflected in a handful of recent posts, I haven't yet figured out how to portray the proverbial glass with an MP3.)

Yomo Toro- Mi Pueblo

No more Yomo.

Sonia Sotomayor- what a great name! News of her nomination to the Supreme Court reminded me of another person of Puerto Rican descent with an even better name. Yomo Toro's out-of-print Las Manos De Oro provided my introduction to the cuatro. The album is loaded with beautiful, life-affirming material like "Mi Pueblo." And if this joyous video fails to make you happy, well, there's just no hope for you friend.

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Based on the way the main stage seems to be set up, watching Soundset on video appears to be better than actually attending the annual hip hop blowout.

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Kansas City Click: Treasure Fingers makes 'em dance tonight at Mosaic.

Jay Bennett, 1963-2009

Goodbye.

Jay Bennett's Whatever Happened I Apologize includes only a handful of fully realized songs. But dozens of excellent ideas are contained on the album. It's available as a free download from netlabel Rock Proper. Fleshed out, the project might have become a truly outstanding album. Sadly, it's never going to happen. Bennett died Sunday. That forces listeners mourning the death of the former Wilco member to imagine what might have become of promising sketches like "I Don't Have the Time." Check a Bennett blog post for tragic insights.

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I caught The Offspring, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, Alkaline Trio and Anberlin last Friday. Here's my review.

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Cherryholmes was a mixed bag Sunday when they performed with the Kansas City Symphony.

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Thanks to Blip.fm, I'm on an ugly 5'nizza jag.

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Kansas City Click: Saxophonist Logan Richardson plays Jardine's Tuesday and Wednesday. I previewed the shows at Plastic Sax.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: They Might Be Giants at Jiggle Jam

What an inconsiderate audience! They yelled. They cried. They whined. And that was just the adults.

As noted earlier this weekend at Back To Rockville, They Might Be Giants attract an unusually devoted audience.

The cult band's concert Saturday afternoon at children's music festival Jiggle Jam served as a rare instance of children enabling their parents. Kids clearly enjoyed They Might Be Giants, but most probably would have been just as entertained by Bongo Barry.

It's more than a little unsettling to watch adults sing along with "Alphabet of Nations" as if it's their personal version of "Born To Run" or "Highway To Hell."

Still, it was mad fun. By the time the band closed with "Dr. Worm", my face was sore from smiling.

















(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Lee "Shot" WIlliams- I Feel An Urge Coming On

Sated.

It's a prestigious award! So claim JP Soars and the Red Hots, the winners of this year's International Blues Challenge. I'm not knocking the Florida band- I like what they do and I'd gladly go see them if they were playing my neighborhood blues bar this weekend.

Even so, how can blues acts that deliberately replicate previously established styles be held up as the "best"? The present, by definition, is more compelling than the past. And that's coming from a roots-oriented guy. That's why, at least for me, the two most compelling blues releases so far in 2009 are by Heartless Bastards and Dan Auerbach. Most of their fans probably don't even think of them as blues acts.

There are, of course, exceptions to my rule. I'm completely charmed, for instance, by Black Joe Lewis. My knees buckle involuntarily when I'm exposed to good soul-blues acts. That's why I've loved Lee "Shot" Williams' outstanding Cold Shot since its release in 1995. Williams lacks an official web presence, but British nuts have posted a number of his early 45s at YouTube.

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I've never seen Nas. That'll change June 26 when he appears at The Uptown Theater with Damian Marley.

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Kansas City Click: "All the barbecue you can eat/All the ghetto stars you can meet!" That's the promise of Rich the Factor. He hosts a Bucks Over Fame party at The National Guard Armory tonight.

If They Might Be Giants don't play "The Mesopotamians" at Jiggle Jam Saturday, I'm gonna throw an ugly temper tantrum.

It's my understanding that attendance at Celebration At the Station Sunday is mandatory. The Kansas City Symphony mixes it up this year by bringing in bluegrass band Cherryholmes.

NRBQ- Things We Like To Do

Liked no more.

What's wrong with me? Not once has NRBQ been mentioned at There Stands the Glass. Everything I love about the hipster's version of the Grateful Dead is evident on this childlike goof from an out-of-print 1982 live date. NRBQ is a cult band for a reason. But weirdos who've listened to way too much music the discriminating few who love both Sun Ra's mysticism and Jonathan Richman's innocence, as well as fans of current bands Dr. Dog and Delta Spirit, will appreciate the carefree glee and expert musicianship of NRBQ. Here's a bit of corresponding video footage.

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Buddy Montgomery and Wayman Tisdale passed away on May 15.

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Dolla is dead.

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As much as I love the sense of community provided by Blip.fm, I'm not sure if I'll be able to resist forsaking it for Napster's new $5 a month plan.

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Road trip to St. Louis? "Vintage Vinyl is partnering up with Meat Puppets and Pabst Blue Ribbon to host a special Thursday happy hour listening party & grill session with the band! The band won't be performing at Vintage Vinyl but there will be tasty free Pabst Blue Ribbon, tasty free BBQ and some extra tasty (not free) music as the Meat Puppets hang out, sign autographs and grill at Vintage Vinyl! The grilling party begins at 6:00PM on May 28th." Who's in?

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I have a new favorite concert of the year. Esperanza Spalding was incredible Saturday. Here's my review.

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Kansas City Click: Dan Bliss is part of tonight's "Guitar Extravaganza" at Jardine's.

Review: Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown

Green Day- "Before the Lobotomy" (LaLa stream)

I regularly turn my terrestrial radio dial to a classic rock station.

Hearing songs by Boston, Bowie and E.L.O. that were already stale twenty years ago makes me laugh. Truth be told, however, I still love that stuff. Apparently, Billie Joe Armstrong shares my enthusiasm for the oldies. That would explain why Green Day's new 21st Century Breakdown sounds disarmingly like a classic rock album.

It's not exactly a subtle or groundbreaking effort, but this is Green Day, after all, and they're masters of the obvious. Heard in that context, 21st Century Breakdown is almost perfect.

The concept album's dopey political themes are easily forgotten amid the garish lifts. "Is that a Head East riff?" "Hey, that's from Styx!" "I miss Queen, too." The album has already provided me worlds of fun. And it's just going to get better.

The public pool in my neighborhood opens in a few days. The teenagers working there blast a Top 40 station through a tinny speaker system. I eagerly anticipate hearing these Green Day songs- the album has a least four potential hits- amid a mix of Ciara, Rick Ross and Soulja Boy. It's gonna be hot!

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Kansas City Click: Newmatica is on the Monday night bill at The Record Bar.

(Original image of Green Day by There Stands the Glass.)