John Jorgenson Quintet- Hungaria

Border closed.

Django this. Django that. It's only March and I'm already becoming burned out on tribute concerts and albums commemorating the centennial anniversary of Django Reinhardt's birth. It takes something special, consequently, to get me excited. Istiqbal Gathering, one of two new self-released albums by Nashville cat John Jorgenson, is one such project. While I'll always associate Jorgenson with The Hellecasters, he's been playing gypsy jazz for a while. It pays off on the ambitious Istiqbal Gathering. Recorded with Orchestra Nashville and the Turtle Island Quartet, the innovative album explores fresh concepts for gypsy jazz guitar. It's both emotionally and intellectually rewarding. "Hungaria" is taken from One Stolen Night, a relatively straightforward Django-esque quintet recording. It's very nice, but the real magic happens with the orchestra.

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Here's my review of a concert by cult artist Dave Frishberg.

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What? I can't hear you. Sevendust and Drowning Pool were loud. Here's my review.

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Joel Francis interviews Elena James of Hot Club of Cowtown.

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T-Bone Wolk has died.

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I get the story behind the new Kansas Blues & Jazz: Past, Present & Future documentary at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: James McMurtry has a lot of great songs, but none are more popular in these parts than "Choctaw Bingo". He won't get out of Knuckleheads alive if he doesn't play it Tuesday.

I'm not going to lie. I'm looking forward to hearing Roger Daltrey belt out "The Real Me" one last more time Wednesday at the Sprint Center.

Review: Soulcrate Music's The Heartland Panic

Sixty-second promotional video for The Heartland Panic


I didn't think they had it in them.

Having seen Soulcrate Music perform several times, I had the hip hop group pegged as inspired amateurs, long on enthusiasm but short on talent.

The Heartland Panic, however, represents a huge step forward. Honestly, I didn't think Soulcrate Music was capable of producing an album this solid. It's shockingly good. Even their most devoted fans- the ones who drive the 500 hundred miles from Soulcrate Music's base in Sioux Falls to see them play in Kansas City- must be secretly surprised.

The act shares the same general musical sensibility as labelmate Mac Lethal. But where Mac is misanthropic, Soulcrate Music shrug their collective shoulders and smile. The sibling MCs come across as an updated, Midwestern version of Run-DMC. That makes DJ Absolute their Jam-Master Jay. Songs like "Let It Shine" exude the old-school good times of '80s hip hop.

It's not as if the three men in Soulcrate Music are trying to be something they're not. They wholeheartedly embrace their Midwestern roots. So even as they rap over funk samples on "Clouds In My Head" and "Keep Hope Dead," it's still obvious that they're melanin-challenged dudes from the Dakotas.

They make no claims, thankfully, to be hip hop purists. Not unlike P.O.S., they mash up electro and punk on "Electric Heavy Glow." "Think About Me" brings the solo work of Rancid's Tim Armstrong to mind. And "Sleep Awake" would slip comfortably between the Cure and Passion Pit on an alternative rock playlist.

The Heartland Panic is the sound of guys headed to an epic party.

I call shotgun.


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A friend recently mocked my predisposition to love everything issued by the ECM label. It's true. A video documenting a recent performance by the Tord Gustavsen Ensemble buckles my knees.

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I not sure which version of 72 Musicians I'm going to download.

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It's so nice to hear this Sarah Buxton song on a local terrestrial radio station. The operative word is "cute." The Kansas girl recently spoke with Tim Finn.

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The new video from There Stands the Glass favorites Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is a cover of "White Rabbit." It's the final track of the Almost Alice soundtrack. The band's next album streets June 8.

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I'm looking forward to reading the Mac Lethal interview in the forthcoming issue of Demencha magazine.

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Kansas City Click: Ron Ron and J. Stalin are among the hip hop elite performing Thursday at America's Pub.

Country fans will "Get Off On the Pain" with Gary Allan Friday at the VooDoo Lounge.

Dave Frishberg visits the Folly Theater on Saturday.

Dropkick Murphys play the Beaumont Club on Sunday.

Brother Theotis Taylor- Somebody's Gone

Gone for real.

Given my compulsion to note the deaths of musicians at There Stands the Glass, Brother Theotis Taylor's "Somebody's Gone" could serve as the accidental theme song of this site. The unflinching selection is one of 71 songs on The Pitch/Gusman Records Story. I'm going to have to spring for the new compilation of rare gospel from the '60s and '70s. Amazon offers it for under twenty dollars. "Every time I look around, somebody's gone."

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The Driftwood Singers hipped me to Free Energy. Cheap Trick circa '77 redux!

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Phish never did it for me, but Sunday's Trey Anastasio concert blew me away. Here's my review.

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Gorgeous photographs accompany my review of a recent concert by Marvin Sease, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Shirley Brown, Bobby Rush, Floyd Taylor and O.B. Buchana.

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Speaking of Floyd Taylor, this video is absolutely heartbreaking.

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Kansas City Click: Fred Wickham is joined by cult hero D. Clinton Thompson at the Record Bar on Tuesday.

(Image courtesy of Big Legal Mess Records.)

Matt Otto: An Appreciation

Kansas City is stacked with good jazz musicians. I'd happily spend my time and money hearing any one of our town's fifty best artists on any given night.

Some of them even specialize in what I characterize as "tourist jazz"- safe and conventional reproductions of what's been played countless times before. There's no shame in that. Several local traditionalists might even have dazzled Pete Johnson and Jay McShann.

That's not, however, what Matt Otto does. Not since Pat Metheny and Bobby Watson lit up Kansas City's clubs a few decades ago has a young locally-based jazz instrumentalist played with such imagination and innovation.

The great Bobby Watson aside, Otto is Kansas City's premier jazz artist.

The saxophonist's gig at Jardine's last week served as further confirmation that Otto is working at an exceptional level. His versatile style acts as a resounding rebuttal to anyone claiming that outside-leaning jazz musicians are unable to play conventionally. Otto possesses an immaculate tone and can deliver ballads with refined beauty. His adventurous attack Tuesday, however, referenced Ornette Coleman, Lee Konitz and Steve Lacy. Otto discusses his approach in an interview I conducted with him a few months ago.

As is usually the case with the best artists, Otto elevates the playing of his peers. I'd never heard saxophonist Gerald Dunn and drummer Mike Warren sound better. Bassist Ben Leifer, as usual, was also phenomenal. Otto didn't draw a big crowd Tuesday, but I'll submit that he and his band are capable of wowing jaded aficionados at the world's most hallowed jazz venues.

I'm not suggesting that Otto is a star in the making. Alas, that's not a realistic possibility for jazz instrumentalists in 2010. But if you care about Kansas City's jazz scene- or even if you just pretend to care about it- then Matt Otto is the name you need to know.


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Credentials Hip Hop interviews Oklahoma rapper Jabee.

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In spite of its unfortunate title, the video for Dutch Newman's "Get Retarded" is very effective. Stik Figa and Greg Enemy co-star.

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I noticed that Target has reduced the price of their exclusive 3-CD set by Prince to $4.99. I still can't bring myself to buy it. Sad.

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Blues musician Lil' Dave Thompson was killed in an accident on February 14.

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Kansas City Click: Pianist Paul Shinn plays the Majestic on Monday.

(Matt Otto text cross-posted from Plastic Sax.)

Kevin Head- Digby Lament

No more crying.

Shame on me. I fell for yesterday's hoax about Gordon Lightfoot. I even repeated the awful ruse on Twitter. Please consider this post an act of penance. I salvaged this forgotten government-sponsored Canadian album from a cutout bin only because the (late) Kate McGarrigle plays banjo on the side featuring Kevin Head. The other half highlights Bill Garrett. Both folkies sound as if they've listened to plenty of Lightfoot and Ian Tyson.

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I find this hopelessly wonky jazz think piece by Ethan Iverson fascinating.

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Jason Parker was awarded a grant to cover Nick Drake. (Tip via AZ.)

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I don't know how much longer Amazon will have it available as a free download, but I suggest nabbing Velma Cross' Ruth Brown-inspired nugget. It's pulled from this new compilation.

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Adorable or annoying? Here's Megan Birdsall's latest vlog. (Personal to Megan: neither of your two publicists has ever contacted me.)

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Kansas City Click: The first time I met with Hermon Mehari of Diverse I suggested that he and his forward-thinking jazz band should play rock clubs. I'm pleased to see that Diverse is featured at the Czar Bar's dinner show on Friday.

Mount Righteous, featured in the previous There Stands the Glass post, play the Brick on Saturday.

Local music documentary 72 Musicians will be screened Sunday at the Screenland Armour Theater. The Caves and Olympic Size will be on hand.

Mount Righteous- Sing to Me, Tiffany

Tiffany tired.

Watch this first. The video serves as an ideal introduction to the Mount Righteous sensibility. The joyful noise made by these lovable geeks sounds as if Henry Threagill wrote jazz arrangements for the educational songs of The Electric Company. The Texas band's February tour takes them to the Brick in Kansas City on Saturday. Something tells me they're a great live act. "Sing to Me, Tiffany" comes from the 2009 EP Open Your Mouth. (Tip via Lee.)

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I don't have a dog in the fight between broadcasters and performers. But this ad campaign fascinates me. Check out its strident verbiage: "Giant record companies. Most of which are in foreign countries. We'll pay all the money. And they'll keep gobs of it. Great."

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Ruby Hunter has died. (Tip via BGO.)

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Jazz and lounge accordionist Art Van Damme has died. If you're not familiar with his career, then you really need to see this.

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Kansas City Click: Sons of Brasil perform Thursday at Jardine's.

(Image pulled from Mount Righteous' MySpace account.)

Sliccs Gotcha, 1982-2010

Although I write extensively about music I've never been particularly interested in hanging out with musicians. Backstage passes go unused and I involuntarily roll my eyes when I hear the phrase "after party." It's especially true of Kansas City's hip hop artists. I love the music but I don't even pretend to do the handshakes or speak the jargon. Sliccs Gotcha was different. The rapper had a broader worldview than his recordings might indicate. On Prince of Whales, Sliccs raps about dealing drugs, exacting revenge on his rivals and eluding the authorities. Yet he didn't come across as a gangster when I spent time with him. Sliccs struck me as gentle, kind and worldly. He was murdered February 12. Here's chatter at Crime Scene KC.

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I'm admittedly biased, but the new EP by Hidden Pictures sounds incredible. RIYL: Wilco, Freedy Johnston, Wings.

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I'm convinced that "How Low Can You Go", the chart-topping hit by Ludacris, is a deliberate parody of everything that's wrong in our society.

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Kansas City Click: RJD2 perform Wednesday at the Record Bar.




















(Original image of Sliccs Gotcha performing at Taste of Troost on 7/04/09 by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Rachel Lee and Michael Brown at the Folly Theater

No more echoes.

Attending a concert completely oblivious to the content of the program goes against my nature. I acquired a pair of tickets to Saturday's event at the Folly Theater for two reasons. Tickets to the "Discovery" concert were free. Secondly, I adore the Folly Theater. Complimentary tickets to a show in a beautiful venue on the eve of Valentine's Day? Sold!

My blind faith in the reputation of the presenters, the prestigious Harriman-Jewell Series, was amply rewarded. The visionary performance by violinist Rachel Lee and pianist Michael Brown floored me.

The pair began by attacking Beethoven's Sonata for violin & piano No. 10 in G major with youthful fervor. Musty reverence was conspicuously absent this night. Lee and Brown went on to explore Prokofiev, Webern and Enescu. The delightfully odd Webern pieces proved too much for many in the near-capacity audience of about 1,000. A steady stream of distraught patrons headed for the exits as the mildly dissonant 20th century compositions were performed. I sat as if I was in a trance. I'd never heard this dreamlike material.

Part of the appeal was the pair's obvious predilection for the selections. Their emphatic body language reflected honest enthusiasm rather than shameless showboating. I saw violinist Karen Gomyo work the next day with the Kansas City Symphony. While I loved her performance on Sibelius' Concerto in D Minor, Gomyo and the symphony emphasized the rigorous technical aspects of the piece. Lee and Brown, on the other hand, seemed bolder and more reckless. The pair's carefree abandon felt liberating. The Symphony, on the other hand, favored tension-filled tautness.

The post-concert talk (photo) confirmed what the performance had already revealed. Lee is vivacious and engaging while Brown is a thoughtful wit. Both artists are ridiculously smart. Brown's biography lists his extensive awards and impressive resume. The up-and-comer is also a composer. His fascinating "Echoes of Byzantium," featuring his piano work and Emily Deans on violin, was recorded at the the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

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The artist behind the original version of "Suzie Q," Dale Hawkins, died February 13. This video is priceless.

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Jazz drummer Jake Hanna died February 13.

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Who doesn't love "My Sharona"? Thanks, Doug Fieger.

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I remember that I was literally afraid the first time I heard Big Black's Atomizer. Iain Burgess, one of the men responsible for that scary sound, has died.

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Kansas City Click: Monday's "Love Hangover" at the Record Bar promises to mend broken hearts.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Keef Hartley Band- Me and My Woman

Off to bed.

I wrote a glowing review of a Gov't Mule concert this week. It didn't please anyone. Advocates of the band are upset that I failed canonize guitarist Warren Haynes. And jam band critics were outraged by my praise.

I understand the jam band sensibility and the appeal of white boy blues. American Beauty is part of my DNA. And I was catching Stevie Ray Vaughan in clubs well before Texas Flood was recorded. In that realm, however, I'm especially affectionate of the post-John Mayall and Long John Baldry acts. Their number includes Keef Hartley.

I liked Battle of North West Six even before I heard it. Rescued from a dollar bin in the '80s, the 1969 pressing boasts a thick slab of vinyl and insightful liner notes. Like many of his peers, Hartley combined his love of Chicago blues with jazz elements and touches of English folk music.

Warren Haynes probably digs it too.

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Kansas City Click: Mikal Shapiro sings Friday at Davey's Uptown.

Don't be a hater. Bowling For Soup is a great live band. They squeeze into the Record Bar on Saturday.

Shay Estes croons at Jardine's on Valentine's Day.

Shellshag- Resilient Bastard

Resilient no more.

Brooklyn duo Shellshag combine the unrefined pop elements of the Ramone's debut album with the noisy drone of Sonic Youth's Evol. Raw and joyous, Shellshag is a genuine rock'n'roll band. It's only natural, consequently, that I really like their new album Rumors In Disguise. "Resilient Bastard" is fantastic but the songs delivered by drummer Shag are even more appealing. Here's the video.

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How improbable is it that the #9 song on the country charts commemorates the death of basketball star and smooth jazz musician Wayman Tisdale?

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What would you do if you knew you were about to go to jail? If you're Lil Wayne, you make nine music videos in 48 hours.

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Kansas City Click: Mark Lowrey plays piano Wednesday at The Majestic.

Knuckleheads plays host to The Greencards on Thursday.

(Photo of Shellshag by Too Much Rock.)

Review: Josh Turner's Haywire

Josh Turner- "Why Don't We Just Dance" (YouTube video stream)

I got chills the first time I heard the title track of Randy Travis' "Storms of Life." References to Montgomery Ward, a Ford pickup, chicken wings and a six pack spilled out of my car radio in the first thirty seconds of the old-fashioned weeper. Now, that's country! Along with Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle and Marty Stuart, Travis was part of a traditionalist country revival that was destined to forever rid the airwaves of the likes of Barbara Mandrell, Anne Murray and Restless Heart.

Or so I thought.

I had a similar reaction when Josh Turner's soulful Christian admonishment "Long Black Train" hit a few years ago. Turner clearly shared Travis' love of George Jones and both men specialize in chest-rattling low notes. Maybe Turner was the antidote to the nation's unhealthy infatuation with Rascal Flatts.

I was fooled again.

Haywire, Turner's new album, is a perfectly-conceived, immaculately-produced crossover country album. I don't like it.

The album is a tribute to domestic bliss. Rather than consummating a relationship in a sordid motel, Turner croons "Let's Find a Church." Turner's idea of getting rowdy on "Friday Paycheck," the album's obligatory honky tonk song, is shouting out a request for Johnny Cash. He assures a child that he's a "monster-runner-offer" on "As Fast As I Could." And do I really need to give away the subject of "The Answer"? (It's Jesus, silly!)

The prim and proper Haywire will likely be one of the top-selling albums of 2010. While I can picture myself enjoying the album as I tailgate in mixed company before a Carrie Underwood or Brad Paisley concert, it's not what I want from country music. I demand songs about pain, drinking and cheating. Great voice or not, I don't need a guy who rhymes "sunshine" with "good times."

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I'm considering buying the deluxe version of Incense and Wine, the latest album by Miles Bonny, mostly because I covet the engraved flask that comes with the package.

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Sir John Dankforth has died.

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Killer Strayhorn perform Monday at Jardine's.

A Conversation With Randy Weston

Randy Weston radiates greatness.

The legendary jazz musician possesses a rare combination of gentle grace and regal bearing. Even people who have no idea that the 83-year-old was apprenticed by Thelonious Monk, was produced by Duke Ellington and was a collaborator with the likes of Langston Hughes and Charles Mingus surely recognize that Weston exudes a powerful energy. It was all I could do to keep from bowing in his majestic presence during the hour I spent with Weston Thursday morning at the American Jazz Museum.

Other obligations prevented me from attending Weston's free presentation at the museum that evening. One friend characterized Weston's performance as "simply stunning." Another associate, Joel Francis of The Daily Record, was part of the audience of about 200 people. "The music was spellbinding," he reported. "It was incredible to witness a musician of this caliber in such an intimate setting. "

Weston's beautiful Senegalese wife was on hand and a television cameraman made a brief appearance. Otherwise, museum C.E.O. Greg Carroll (below) and I had the pianist and composer to ourselves. I recorded the discussion, but the roar of vacuums and the relentless chirp of smooth jazz spilling in from the museum's atrium make a complete transcription impossible.

A few choice quotes from our conversation follow.

Africa
"I feel the spirit of my Creator and the spirit of my grandfather." - how he experiences the music of Africa

"You are an African born in America." - the message given to him by his grandfather

"You have to study the great empire of Africa." - a suggestion that has informed his life

"I wanted to look at African music from an African perspective." - about Uhuru Afrika, the sadly out-of-print landmark recording

"Randy Weston, thanks for giving me Africa." - what he was told by Dee Dee Bridgewater

"I wanted to find out where the hell we came from." - about his exploration of Africa

"That's our music. That's where we all come from. That's why we all feel it." - of humanity's common African heritage

Music and spirituality
"I make to communicate with people. I'm having a spiritual dialogue with people. Every time I perform I have a spiritual experience." - on the power and the meaning of music

"Charlie Parker is just as spiritual as Mahalia Jackson. In Africa they don't separate the secular and the spiritual. It's all one." - on the artificial separation of secular and sacred music

"All of us were little boys in bow ties. None of us could go party after that. We went home and went to bed." - recalling a Saturday night performance by Mahalia Jackson

"Our music is based on love. Our music is based on respect. Respect to our family, elders and ancestors."- about the meaning of his music

"Music is our real language. God is the real musician. We are all the messengers." - on the significance of music

"If you know there are cosmic rhythms you can reach other dimensions." - on the use of music by African tribes to expand consciousness

"You can't become six until you're five. You can't play the song of a 60-year-old until you've been 59." - on musical progression

"Music was created to soothe you. The other side of music is music to stir you." - on the power of music

The decline of jazz in popular culture
"We don't have access to the media. We don't exist." - in response to Carroll's disappointment about poor attendance at the press conference

"We have average music. We have average times." - on the domination of popular music

"People are hungry for something new." - on why he believes jazz will enjoy a resurgence in popularity

"Our music is not defined. They don't know who we are." - on jazz' unpopularity among black Americans

"Our music is only meant to get to the few. Our music has always been an intimate music. We're like chamber music." - citing reasons why jazz isn't more popular

Defining jazz
"I've always considered my music African rhythms." - how he describes his style of music

"Jazz is African music in the United States." - on his dislike of the word "jazz"

"I call it spiritual music." - on his preferred definition of his music

















(Cross-posted from Plastic Sax. Original images by Plastic Sax. I'd to thank Suzetta Parks for allowing me the great privilege of meeting Weston.)

Lakeside- Given In To Love

No more love.

Don't you dare call it a decent voyage. "Given In To Love" may not be "Fantastic Voyage" , but the ballad is anything but mediocre. Soul band Lakeside made a lot of solid music before scoring big with their signature hit in 1980. This strong ballad is from the very fine out-of-print 1978 album Shot of Love. The group combined the fire of the Isley Brothers with the smooth musicianship of Earth Wind & Fire. May I have this dance?

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Friends often express horror and sympathy when they learn that I'm attending a Christian rock event. They don't understand that I actually like it. Here's my mildly critical review of last night's Casting Crowns concert.

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Did you catch the sad story in the New York Times about the disputed will of Stephen Bruton? Awful. I wrote about Stephen here. And Sumter, seemingly the rightful heir of his brother's estate, was featured at There Stands the Glass here.

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The wonderful Numero Group is having a label-wide sale. Rather than their usual exorbitant prices, their titles are now merely expensive. (Tip via AZ.)

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Alright, I'll admit it. I genuinely appreciate Lil Wayne's new rock album. I'm filing it right next to Kid Rock. That pairing, incidentally, would make a great double bill.

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Kansas City Click: The KcEMA KcEnnections concert Friday at 1100 Main looks intriguing.

Javon Jackson is at the Blue Room on Saturday.

The People's Liberation Big Band return to the Record Bar on Sunday.

I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing

Probably because I grew up being tormented by guitar-wielding teachers at school and at church while being brainwashed by Coke commercials at home, I've never romanticized the singer-songwriter concept. While I'm a rabid fan of the likes of Dylan, Kristofferson, Prine and Van Zandt, I don't necessarily want to hear that stuff in a bar. I've been baffled, consequently, to have regularly found myself in acoustic performance settings during the past few months. The concept is becoming so prevalent that it's difficult to avoid. Fortunately, a lot of the music is really good. Last week I heard excellent sets by several people at the Czar Bar. They included contributions by Vi Tran (above) and Billy Smith (below). The latter performer is perhaps best known today for his work with Olympic Size and Roman Numerals.

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It's no secret that I'm a longtime Taylor Swift skeptic. I called her out for her insincerity back in 2007. That issue bothers me far more than her flawed voice and her country-in-name-only pop hits. I'm relieved that my perspective is finally socially acceptable.

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Links to sad stories about epic failures in Kansas City's jazz community are available at Plastic Sax.

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Here's the latest homemade video from Kansas City's Steddy P.

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Kansas City Click: Dreams Are For Rookies play the Riot Room on Wednesday.

The great Randy Weston is at the American Jazz Museum on Thursday.






















(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

One Hundred Percent Grind

Detonated.

Nothing much happened at the KC Music Forum at a community center in Swope Park on January 23. That's the good news.

There's little love lost between the rival factions of Kansas City's hip hop community. Guys from the '50s, for instance, detest the Wyandotte crowd. Backpackers don't get along with Landmark Records artists. There's one thing, however, these disparate groups can all agree on- KPRS isn't doing them any favors.

That's why about 150 people met to mull over their options with representatives of the radio station. The conclusions they came to were asinine- act like a professional, respectfully service DJs and maintain a "one hundred percent grind."

It's probably a good thing no one asked me to contribute. I was itching to question the business acumen of an artist who arrived at the conference in a customized wrapped van when he hadn't even bothered to create an internet presence.

James Christos, the man pictured here in black shirt and cap, recently released a politically incorrect ode to KPRS. Here are my goofy notes on a Christos performance from 2009.

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Last night's awards broadcast was weak. Between live blogging, instant messaging and Twitter, however, I've never had more fun watching the Grammys.

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Kansas City Click: Craig Akin leads a jam session Monday at the Blue Room.

Lonnie Liston Smith- Sunset

Dark.

My vinyl copy of Lonnie Liston Smith's out-of-print Live! is pretty banged up. Its condition indicates that the 1977 release probably spent a lot of time on a turntable in the late '70s. In sweetly nostalgic fashion, its balance of dated fusion and solid funk still resonates with me. Saxophonist Dave Hubbard is featured on "Sunset," the album's meditative closing track.

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Joel Francis interviews Professor Griff.

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Last night I caught part of a terrestrial radio program featuring obscure local prog-rock and metal bands from the '70s and '80s. Members of one of these acts were following all over themselves in gratitude for the attention. That's cool. A quick Google search revealed that none of those knuckleheads has bothered to establish even the most rudimentary of web presences. That's not cool. I did, however, stumble upon several references to Starcastle, a band I hadn't considered in twenty years. Their comprehensive tour log fascinates me. I'd forgotten that I'd seen the band at World of Fun when I was a kid.

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One doesn't have to be a Joe Lovano geek to appreciate this promotional video about his recent injury, the dichotomy between art and commerce and the difference between influences and individualism.

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Kansas City Click: Oriole Post, the Parade Schedule and Grisly Hand play the Czar Bar on Friday.

Anvil hit the Riot Room on Saturday.

Jazz returns to the Record Bar on Sunday in the form of the Black House Improvisors' Collective .

Review: Sarah Borges at Knuckleheads

My companion didn't allow me to get a good photograph of Sarah Borges last Thursday at Knuckleheads. She nodded at the men pointing cameras at the attractive roots-rock musician.

"Don't be one of those creeps," she pleaded.

I have to admit that it did look a little pervy. Of the thirty people attending the matinee show, six or seven were guys lining up shots of Borges. She's certainly worthy of the attention. The Boston-based artist sounds like a combination of Wanda Jackson and Loretta Lynn and looks like a rockabilly version of Sarah Silverman.

She's funny too. She scolded the audience for not being louder (couldn't she see that people can't clap or drink while they're holding cameras?), talked about roadkill and fantasized about abandoning the music business. Let's hope that doesn't happen. I hope to catch Borges at least once more in 2010.

I promise to leave my camera at home.

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My head says "no" but my heart says "yes." After resisting it for weeks, I've finally succumbed to Sade's idiotic "Soldier of Love."

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Kansas City Click: There Stands the Glass favorites The Life and Times return to the Record Bar on Thursday.

(Sketchy original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Everclear at the Midland Theater

It would be disingenuous of me to claim that Everclear's performance Tuesday at the Midland Theater was great. As Tim Finn's review suggests, sound and voice issues were real problems. But I'd also be lying if I said I didn't love hearing all those hits again. The sturdy songs Art Alexakis writes, as Finn noted, don't go out of style. I also admire Alexakis for keeping it real. He knows the score and appreciates his audience accordingly. Although it was a simple gesture, his shout-out to Kansas City club The Hurricane (now the Riot Room) meant a lot to longtime fans.

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Jimmy Wyble, guitarist for Bob Wills and other legends, died January 16. This video just breaks my heart.

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I always thought of Swayzorbladez as the heavy-set white guy who's always jumping on stage at hip hop shows. But the man won a prominent freestyle battle last weekend. Shows what I know.

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Kansas City Click: Cedric Burnside and Lightin' Malcolm will attempt to hypnotize the audience at the Record Bar on Wednesday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Art Alexakis: An Exclusive Interview with There Stands the Glass

At the risk of tarnishing his formidable street cred, I'll divulge that Art Alexakis was utterly charming when I interviewed him last week. In addition to his uncommon graciousness, Alexakis spoke with a candor rare in rock stars.

It's tempting to wax nostalgic while considering Alexakis' band Everclear- I still get chills when I hear 1995's "Heroin Girl"- but it's unwise to think that Alexakis' best days are behind him. He's an indefatigable survivor.

Everclear's In a Different Light Tour brings the band to Kansas City's Midland Theater on January 26.

There Stands the Glass: You're 47. How do you continue to stay musically inspired?

Art Alexakis: I don't like a lot of the contemporary rock bands right now. I don't really like what they're doing. I don't find it very exciting. It's kind a retread of stuff that's already been there. It makes me work harder to find something within me that feels new and exciting and still feels honest to what I'm about.

Good things can inspire you and bad things can inspire you.

I remember seeing Cheap Trick opening up for Kansas who I wasn't a fan of. I was set on fire. It was 1976-77. I went home and stole my friend's copy of In Color. I go, "Is this your cassette?" And he goes, "Yeah." I go, "OK, thanks." He goes, "Give it back!" I said, "I'll give it back in a couple weeks." I don't think I ever gave it back.

You can go see a horrible band, or who you think is a horrible band, and it can inspire you too. I'm better than that. That sucks. And people are buying that? People are into that? I hate that. It inspires me even more into doing what I do. I think that's a personality thing.

TSTG: I'm encouraged by older artists like Bob Dylan and Neil Young who remain artistically challenging. Do you have any such role models?

AA: Neil Young still pushes the envelope. On the flip (of the) coin, you've got Billy Joel and Elton John going out and doing their hits. I'm not deriding that. I'm going to go see that. I love Elton John and I like some Billy Joel and I'm excited to see the show.

But it's a different universe than what the Neil Youngs and the Bob Dylans are doing. I can almost guarantee you that Elton John and Billy Joel probably have more friends that Neil Young and Bob Dylan. The people pushing the envelope are not the nicest people in the world to hang out with. They're just not. You don't get it all in life. You can try, but you don't get it all.

When I'm in that studio mode I'm not a pleasant person to be around. I know it. I work really hard not to be a total asshole.

I specifically like to be away from my family so that I don't come home still thinking, "I've almost got that bass sound of that one part in that one song..." I'm tuned into the minutiae and my wife wants me to change a diaper? Who does she think she is!

I get like that.

It's better if I'm kept in a little cage of a hotel room somewhere and placated with sugar, because that's my drug of choice these days. Give me a couple of Hersey bars with almonds and let me watch a little pay-per-view and I'm fine.

TSTG: What makes for a good song?

AA: Emotion, articulation and drama are all really important to me. You have to tell a story that resonates with people. And you got to tell it with a melody that hooks them. It's not rocket science. It either resonates or it doesn't. Take all the technology and all the crap away and it's about what connects with people. No one's been able to put their finger on it. Some people are better than others, I would say luckier.

My A&R guy back in '94 convinced me to put an extra chorus on "Santa Monica". That's been the basis of this whole career ever since.

Was he right? I guess so. Would it have worked without it? Who knows? We'll never know. Do I care? No! Did it make the song any worse? If anything, it went a little bit longer than I thought it needed to. When I produced it I just made it more exciting. I threw some stuff on top and had the drummer open up the cymbal a little bit more. I just took it up more so it wasn't boring to me.

It was an old-school pop-rock formula but it worked.

TSTG: What can long-time fans expect at an Everclear concert in 2010?

AA: I don't jump as high as I used to. I still jump around. I'm still putting every ounce of my energy into it. I can still hit all the notes. I still play with passion.

My band is better than ever. We're still hungry. When we walk on stage we're ready to explode.

I believe in rock'n'roll. I love the power of rock'n'roll. I don't know if it's going to be around when I'm a grandfather. But man, I still feel it.

(Here's excellent fan footage from a January 20 show.)

TSTG: Have you stayed in touch any members of Frogpond? (Alexakis produced Count To Ten, the Kansas City band's 1996 debut album.)

AA: We had a falling out after the first record.

The first record was mainly just to get to the second record. I told them I would do the first record if they committed to doing the second record because I liked the new songs. But the label wanted to put something out. So I took them into the studio before they were really ready and we got that album out of them. I thought it sounded pretty good for as much work as we put into it.

Then they wanted to work with other people. When people get a little taste of success and the record labels start pumping them full of hot air it becomes kind of a thing...

Wow, man, I haven't heard that name in years!

(Note: My questions were edited for brevity.)


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2 Dope Boyz offer a new Mac Lethal track. So angry...

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Kansas City Click: Ces Cru top Friday's bill at the Riot Room. It'll look and sound a lot like this.

Mark O'Connor's band pays tribute to Django Reinhardt Saturday at the Folly Theater.

D.R.I. wreak havoc Sunday at The Record Bar.

Michael Pagan performs Monday at Jardine's.

Advance tickets to Everclear's concert Tuesday at the Midland Theater are only $9.33. See you there.

(Image of Alexakis by jahat.)

Kate McGarrigle, 1946-2010

Au revoir.

I never completely connected with the music of Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Their albums- I acquired six or seven of them through the years- are too urbane, inscrutably feminine and Canadian (yeah, I said it) to resonate with me. I also longed for more immediately accessible songs like "Heart Like a Wheel." (Don't miss this lovely rendition.) I suppose that makes me a hopeless barbarian. The French Album, currently out-of-print, is my favorite, probably because I can enjoy the sisters' harmonies without worrying about the lyrics. Kate McGarrigle died Monday.

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I'm not ashamed to say that I've always liked Staind. I've gladly spent money on their CDs and willingly purchased concert tickets to see them. That revelation might make my review of a recent Aaron Lewis concert all the more damning.

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Wu-Tang vs The Beatles. What could be better?

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Teen jazz phenom Matt Chalk is performing at The Grammys. I interview him at Plastic Sax. And this post at Plastic Sax elicited twenty comments filled with venomous name-calling and hurtful accusations. Go figure.

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Kansas City Click: According to Back To Rockville, this is the schedule for Wednesday's Haiti benefit at The Record Bar: "The lineup: 6:30 to 7:05 p.m., Bob Walkenhorst and Jeff Porter; 7:15 to 7:50 p.m., Danny Cox; 8 to 8:35 p.m., Sara Swenson; 8:45 to 9:30 p.m., the Elders."

Carl Smith, 1927-2010

Goodbye.

Carl Smith died January 16. This obituary examines his rich life and tremendous musical contributions. At least a dozen of the twenty songs on this budget compilation are life-affirmingly brilliant. Just buy it already. (The CD is out of print, so the MP3 version will have to do unless you want to pay a collector's premium.) And don't overlook this song's message. "You've got to laugh and dance and sing..."

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Things didn't go particularly well at Aaron Lewis' concert Sunday. Here's my review.

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Here's a story about Shae Lee. I've seen the eleven-year-old perform. The kid does a mean Tina Turner.

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Kansas City Click: I hope to hit William Sanders' recital Tuesday at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Details are here.

Bobby, Jimmy, Teddy and Yabby

Farewell.

"I Don't Want To Know" indeed. The last 72 hours have been marked by a deluge of bad news for music lovers. Instead of spreading a series of death notices out over a week, I'll mention six sad items all at once.

It began with the awful word of Jay Reatard's passing. A couple months back I downloaded the free EP Matador offered. It's fantastic. I swore that I wasn't going to miss Reatard the next time he came through town.

Word of the disaster in Haiti came next. Wyclef Jean protege Jimmy O was killed. Here's a heretical (but compelling) video.

Poor Teddy Pendergrass! You wanna know how old I am? I bought a couple Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 45s as a child. This was one.

Then I learned that prolific jazz drummer Ed Thigpen died. He was 79.

Bobby Charles' death also hit me hard. Much like Jesse Winchester, Charles was a tasteful singer-songwriter who- intentionally or not- stayed out of the spotlight. "I Don't Want To Know" is from a star-studded 1998 album. Yes, that's Sonny Landreth on guitar.

This morning I read that reggae musician Yabby You died on Tuesday. His best sides were compiled by Blood & Fire.

Please let it stop for a while.


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It's about time! Gil Scott-Heron is back in the game. Here's his new video.

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Friend and loyal There Stands the Glass reader Rick alerted me to this amusing video for "On the Cover of AARP" by a reunited version of early '70s psych-folk band The Kansas City Jammers.

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I'm really digging the juxtaposition of the cracked female blues voice with the patented ECM chamber jazz sound on the new album by Tord Dustavsen.

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Kansas City Click: I intend to catch Friday's performance by jazz collective Black House Improvisors' Collective at Paragraph Gallery.

Kansas City band du jour The Grisly Hand plays Saturday at the Riot Room.

Aaron Lewis sings Sunday at The Midland.

H.W.- Smile

The smile is gone.

H.W. is the self-proclaimed "Brad Pitt of uncool." That's reason enough for me to like him. The Boston-based rapper came to my attention because "Sh*thead", the lead track on the album A Year's Worth of Worry, uses a beat by Mac Lethal. H.W. is not a groundbreaking talent, but I admire his self-deprecating grind. And as the amusing sample of this track suggests, H.W. makes me smile. The entire album is available as a free download here.

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I wonder how indie rock advocates will react when they discover that the majority of Vampire Weekend's audience now consists of fans of Colbie Callait, Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz.

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And speaking of worlds colliding, how about this supposedly spontaneous collaboration between Brother Ali and Justin Timberlake? (Warning- turn your speakers down before clicking on the link.)

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I like more than just the album title of Charlie Hunter's Gentlemen, I Neglected To Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid.

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Have you studied the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival lineup yet?

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Kansas City Click: The Troubadour's Music Club meets Wednesday at Bulldog. This week's featured artists are Tony Ladesich, Betse Ellis and Terrrence Moore.

Dale Watson returns to Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Image from the longlivehw photostream at Flickr.)

Alaturka- Layla

Silence.

Intrigued by his new Alaturka project, I conducted an extensive interview with guitarist Beau Bledsoe at Plastic Sax, my Kansas City jazz site. The entire interview is here. "When I was in Istanbul there were a lot of artists trying to fuse Turkish music with jazz music with fairly dismal results," Bledsoe suggested. "I would often think to myself that if I could only get some of my KC jazz musician friends to Istanbul, they could really cause some damage!" Did Bledsoe succeed? Judge for yourself. Alaturka's "Layla" isn't to be confused with the Derek and the Dominos song. It's "an old middle eastern tune," Bledsoe notes.

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Mick Green of Johnny & the Pirates has died.

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I reviewed Allen Toussaint's concert Friday. And here are my notes from Saturday's Jazz Winterlude festival at Johnson County Community College.

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Kansas City Click: The Record Bar offers the Honky Tonk Supper Club on Tuesday.

(Image of Alaturka by Mike Strong.)

The Straubs- Will the Opry Ever Know My Name

Long live The Straubs.

I'm not going lie. I salvaged this autographed album from a used bargain bin with the sole intent of mocking its excruciatingly awful cover art. Dig those bellbottom jumpsuits! Check out those awkward smiles! And how about that hair! It doesn't get much worse than this. But the self-referential aspirational song "Will the Opry Ever Know My Name" mutes my meanness. The "small town boy from Kansas" didn't make it. There's a reason. The undated album is pretty pedestrian. The Straubs do a disco sendup of "Orange Blossom Special," suck all of the soul out of "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain" and offer a faithful cover of "Crackers," perhaps the worst hit of all time. Aside from this post, there's not even a trace of their existence online. "The Straubs just won't be happy until the Opry learns our names." I'm so, so sorry, Straubs.

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Based on everything I've heard and seen, I truly hope that Lil Wayne's repeatedly delayed rock album never sees the light of day. Love you, Weezy, but Nickelback isn't the ideal band to use as your blueprint.

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Kansas City Click: Allen Toussaint is at the Folly Theater on Friday.

The Jazz Winterlude festival continues at JCCC on Saturday.

I'm told that the Sam Wiseman Group, which includes Matt Otto, Seth Lee and T.J.Martley, will perform Sunday at the Record Bar. They'll pay tribute to Lennie Tristano.

Preston Shannon- Take Your Time

Time's up.

Willie Mitchell died yesterday. I'm sure that dozens of bloggers are paying tribute to Mitchell by featuring tracks by Al Green, Ann Peebles and O.V. Wright. And that's as it should be. Popular music doesn't get much better. Yet Mitchell never stopped working. He even had a regional Southern soul hit in the mid-90s with Preston Shannon's "The Clock." It's from Midnight in Memphis, a fine album that was co-produced by Mitchell and recorded in Mitchell's studio. Mitchell co-wrote "The Clock" and "Take Your Time," the track featured here. Thanks, Mr. Mitchell.

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Marva Whitney is recovering at home in Kansas City, Kansas, after suffering a stroke in Australia. Here's a new MySpace blog post.

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There Stands the Glass favorites Blind Pilot have issued a new live EP.

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Jason Harper's final column as music editor of The Pitch is must-reading for Kansas City music fans.

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My friend Chris makes suggestions on what to do in Kansas City this weekend.

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Kansas City Click: Olympic Size are scheduled to play The Bulldog Wednesday.

Elaine McMillian corrals a bunch of singer-songwriters Thursday at the Czar Bar.

Remy Zero- Motorcycle

Rode away.

Remy Zero was a nice little band. Minor hits like "Gramarye" still sound good. Album tracks like "Motorcycle" sound better still. Both are on the superb 1998 album Villa Elaine. Drummer Gregory Slay died January 1.

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Rowland S Howard of the Birthday Party died December 30.

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I realize this is meaningless coming from a grown man who continues to champion "Party In the U.S.A." , but if Ke$ha's domination of 2010 continues I might not make it past February.

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Kansas City Click: I forgot about Bobby Rush as I made my best shows of the decade list. He and Vickie Baker bring their incredibly entertaining show to Knuckleheads tonight.

Bobby Watson & Horizon Thrill at the Blue Room

"So much music," Bobby Watson sighed Saturday night. "So little time."

So deliriously rhapsodic was Watson's brilliant performance that I was prepared to abandon all other music as I sat ten feet from the stage of the Blue Room. Why listen to anything else? Watson and the all-star band Horizon were that good.

Watson's first solo of the night was riveting. The entire vocabulary of the jazz saxophone- including Jimmy Forrest's "Night Train," Ornette Coleman's new directions and yes, the living legacy of Charlie Parker- pour out of Watson when he's on. And was he ever on! I wouldn't have traded Watson for Sonny Rollins, Joshua Redman or Rudresh Mahanthappa.

His bandmates recognized that it was Watson's night. All sensational pianist Edward Simon could do was grin in admiration. The bop-oriented setting didn't give Simon many chances to showcase his true strength. Only during a sublime duet with Watson on "Love Remains" did Simon offer a glimpse of his wholly unique combination of classical, Latin American folk musics and third stream jazz.

Watson was clearly inspired by the joyous drumming of Victor Lewis. An animated musician, Lewis knowingly smiled as he pushed Watson and trumpeter Terell Stafford, punctuating their solos with emphatic grunts. The supple bass work of Peter Washington, one of jazz's most unselfish stars, was stellar.

Only Stafford seemed frustrated with Watson's dominance. A tremendous player, his position of Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University makes him the equivalent of Watson in Philadelphia. His solos became increasingly brazen. While a couple of his efforts inspired Watson to dance a la Thelonious Monk, it was no use. Watson was untouchable. Even the saxophonist's support work behind each soloist added intriguing depth and unexpected textures to the performance.

It's not for nothing that Watson was recently named the Plastic Sax Person of the Decade.

Could I have experienced my favorite live performance of the year just 48 hours into 2010? It's quite possible. Many in the audience of approximately 125 might agree. Steve Paul was one of them. His proper review of the show is no less enthusiastic. (Cross-posted from Plastic Sax.)

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Joel Francis spent New Year's Eve in Oklahoma City with the Flaming Lips. Here's his report.

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Kansas City Click: Making Movies plays Jerry's Bait Shop in Lee's Summit on Monday.

(Original image by Plastic Sax.)

New Year's Eve Eve with Hot Club of Cowtown

I celebrated New Year's Eve a day early.

While many of my best friends danced to the wondrous sounds of Hearts of Darkness on December 31, I was watching Gran Torino in my basement. (It's not The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, but I liked it.)

Knowing that my New Year's Eve would be a dry one, I cut loose a day early at Knuckleheads. Hot Club of Cowtown was on the bill.

The room was so tightly packed that I initially feared I wouldn't be able to drink properly. The ruthlessly efficient solo bartender was slowed by the frilly drinks ordered by the unusually upscale crowd. It was a struggle to keep the two-dollar 16-ounce Natty Lights flowing.

About 225 paid $15 in advance or $18 at the door to squeeze into the roadhouse. Area jazz venues (I'm looking at you, Jardine's) should consider booking the band for an extended run. They may emphasize Western swing and rockabilly, but as their name indicates, they're plenty familiar with Django Reinhardt and Stepane Grappelli.

Elena Jame's playing is just as much infused with the swing tradition of Claude "Fiddler" Williams as it is the crossover style of Alison Krauss. Her interaction with guitarist Whit Smith and upright bassist Jake Erwin is a joy. Their retro sound is hardly unique but the spirit they inject into their performance gives old songs like "Cheek to Cheek" new life. Their original songs aren't half bad either. While the audio is iffy in this recent video, it captures much of the trio's charm.

A full hour passed between the end of Hot Club of Cowtown's set and the first song by Outlaw Jim & the Whiskey Benders. I guess the latter band wanted to give the crowd a chance to prepare for the enormous aesthetic transition. Where Hot Club of Cowtown evokes Paris of the '30s and Los Angeles of the '50s, Outlaw Jim & the Whiskey Benders sound like Luckenbach circa '73.

Everything you need to know about the band is contained in these two facts: the lead singer wore a Marshall Tucker Band t-shirt and they opened with Willie Nelson's "Me and Paul." And before you get the wrong idea, irony doesn't exist at Knuckleheads. Even on the eve of New Year's Eve.

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My friend Chris loves music every bit as much as I do but our interests only occasionally intersect. Here's his best-shows-of the-decade list.

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Here's an remarkable list of forty hip hop albums and mixtapes released by Kansas City-area artists in 2009.

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Demencha reviews the brand new mixtape from Stik Figa. Do you have Hello, Goodbye yet? It's excellent.

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Kansas City Click: You'll find me at The Blue Room tonight for Bobby Watson & Horizon.

Lee McBee's longstanding series of Sunday shows at B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ continues in 2010.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)