Album Review: Reach- Live at RecordBar

When Reach insistently repeats the refrain "Hip Hop Is Alive" on his new album Live at RecordBar, he isn't celebrating the latest success of Wale or 2 Chainz.  Reach is a true believer in the original purist ideals of hip hop.  The new release- his fourth full-length album- serves as affirmation of Reach's principles.  Supported by the funk/jam band Mouth, DJ Ataxic and vocalists Schelli Tolliver, Sausha Brooks and Vance Ashworth, the well-recorded collaboration brings out the best in each participant.  Live at RecordBar represents most everything I respect but too rarely encounter in live hip hop performances.


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Gov't Mule was good on Tuesday.  Here's my review.  Diana Krall was great on Wednesday.  Here's my review.

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Jeff Hanneman of Slayer has died.

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Chris Kelly, better known as Mack Daddy of Kriss Kross, has died.

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Sid Selvidge has died.  Listen to "The River" from his 2003 album A Little Bit of Rain if you're in need a good cry.

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The single best live performance I witnessed last week was a rendition of Teri Quinn's "Shanafelt" at the senior recital of Sarrah Cantrell at UMKC's White Recital Hall.

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Betse Ellis performed "Straight to Hell" on KDHX.

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As I watched the attractive, well-heeled and diverse audience of about 10,000 take in Quixotic's sublime Surfaces performance last Sunday at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, it occurred to me that the event was the antithesis of Rockfest.  And in truth, I'm more of a Rockfest kind of guy.

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Les Izmore was a guest on KCUR's Central Standard.  (Not to be a stickler, but the "new" solo album in question was released in 2011.)

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I reviewed Matt Kane's Suit Up! at Plastic Sax earlier this week.

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De La Soul's new "Get Away" is impressive.

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I'm not prepared to endorse The Uncluded, the new partnership between Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson, but it's entirely possible that I'll come around.  RIYL: parallel universes, primitivism, schizophrenia. 

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Dag- the lineup of Soundset 2013 goes from Atmosphere to Tech N9ne. 

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Two or three of you crusty old bastards highly-valued readers will be glad to hear that Spider John Koerner's new What's Left of Spider John is a lot of fun.  RIYL: Minnesota, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Mississippi John Hurt. 

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Questlove is quite possibly the best person alive.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The 20 Best Kansas City-Related Albums of 2013 (so far)

Much of the Kansas City music community is rightfully engaged in self-congratulatory praise inspired by the notably strong showing of new releases in 2013.  A comment made by Matt of Jeopardy of Contentment at this site last week compelled me to join the chorus.  Here's a list of my twenty favorite Kansas City-related new releases of the past four months.  I created a Spotify playlist that includes all but five of my selections.


1. Mark Lowrey- Tangos For 18th Street (review at Plastic Sax)
2. The Grisly Hand- Country Singles
3. Pat Metheny- The Orchestrion Project
4. Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle- The Freedom of Expression (review at Plastic Sax)
5. Cherokee Rock Rifle- Ta-Li (review at There Stands the Glass)
6. Alaturka- Yalniz (review at Plastic Sax)
7. Dutch Newman- Schorre's Son
8. Cowboy Indian Bear- Live Old, Die Young
9. Reach- Live at the RecordBar (review at There Stands the Glass)
10. Ces Cru- Constant Energy Struggles (review at There Stands the Glass)
11. The Eldar Djangirov Trio- Breakthrough
12. Kutt Calhoun- Black Gold
13. The BD Trio- Live (review at Plastic Sax)
14. Appleseed Cast- Illumination Ritual
15. Heartfelt Anarchy- Heartfelt Anarchy
16. The Matt Kane Trio- Suit Up! (review at Plastic Sax)
17. Beau Bledsoe/Victoria Botero- Un Ramo de Voz
18. The Great Vehicle- The People's Cathedral of Wavelengths
19. Tate Stevens- Tate Stevens
20. Soft Reeds- Blank City


My list is not comprehensive.  I haven't heard a lot of stuff.  And there's plenty of music that simply doesn't appeal to me.  I encourage readers to investigate the sites linked to the right for additional commentary about the music being created in Kansas City.  The Mailbox features several new releases in today's podcast.  And The Mills Record Company Blog has been on fire lately. 

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

George Jones, 1931-2013

The King is Gone (And So Are You).

George Jones has died.  I detest seeing the man's career reduced to a single song and quick references to boozing, no-shows and heartbreak.  Sure, I love the tractor story as much as anyone, but overlooking the man's music would be tragic.  With that in mind, here are five selections from Jones' vast catalog that had a profound impact on me.

• Hearing "White Lightning" and "The Race Is On" on repeat is one of my earliest childhood memories.  My dad loved the Possum.
• Jones' adult-themed duets introduced me to the wild side of life when I was an impressionable kid.  He gets kinky with Melba Montgomery on "Let's Invite Them Over".
• I've always resented the countrypolitan production that came to characterize his work, but no amount of schmaltz can negate Jones' emoting on weepers like "These Days (I Barely Get By)".
• Okay, I'll give you one stereotypical drinking song. "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)".
• Jones' faith shouldn't be whitewashed from his legacy.   His sly personality is ideally suited to the scathing "Would They Love Him Down In Shreveport?"

"You know this old world is full of singers but only a few are chosen to tear your heart out when they sing.- "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes"


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Bob Brozman has died.  It's my understanding that Bob was the brother of Jack Brozman, the co-founder of Streetside Records.  Can a There Stands the Glass reader confirm this connection?

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The video for Dead Voices' "Dream Notes" is quite good.

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The Soft Reeds performed on KSHB's morning show.

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Gurf Morlix's Gurf Morlix Finds the Present Tense is RIYL Lucinda Williams, sadness and the truth.

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"He's my rebel guy that wouldn't hurt a fly."  Rachelle Spector, the wife of Phil Spector, created a video for "PS I Love You", a tribute to her incarcerated husband. Trust me- it's worthy of your attention.  (Via Jazz Wax.)

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I listened to the entirely of Love Has Come For You, the new collaboration between Steve Martin and Edie Brickeill, without becoming annoyed or exasperated.  A song titled "Shawnee" won me over.

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"I'll never sell out."  Ha ha!  The Dream tells jokes on his preposterous new hit "Slow It Down".

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Omar Sosa and Paolo Fresu's Tiny Desk Concert set is gorgeous.

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The best moments of Owiny Sigoma Band's Power Punch are as good as anything that's been released in 2013.  The worst moments, however, are pure dreck.  RIYL: "Kumbaya," Damon Albarn and Tony Allen. 

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Here's the "ECM Player" for the Craig Taborn Trio's Chants.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Cherokee Rock Rifle- Ta-Li

Cherokee Rock Rifle enjoys an enviable status among the cool kids in Kansas City.  In addition to being a good guy, vocalist Dutch Humphrey works as a bartender at one of the town's most fashionable music venues.  His band, consequently, is a compulsory member of the in-crowd. 

That sort of reasoning has never swayed me.  I regularly rip the music made by my friends and associates.  I'm a jerk that way.

Thankfully, I love Ta-Li, Cherokee Rock Rifle's new six-song EP, on its own merits.  It compares favorably to the output of like-minded bands including Clutch, Valient Thorr and Black Lips.  The quintet's antecedents include Nazareth, Humble Pie and Accept.  In other words, Cherokee Rock Rifle makes snarling blues-based rock designed to accompany illicit activity. 

Because I've been ailing, it's been a long, lonely time since I cut loose.  The hell-raising Ta-Li will be my companion the next time I'm in a proper mindset to f*** s*** up.   


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The least expensive tickets at the door of T.I.'s concert at the Sprint Saturday last Saturday were $60.  The headliner phoned it in.  Here's my review of the lackluster performance by one of my favorite rappers.

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I caught wholesome heartthrob Tate Stevens' second show at the Midland.  Here's my review.

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Chrissie Amphlett of the Divinyls,  Richie Havens and Artie "Blues Boy" White have died.

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Music-oriented movies at the forthcoming Middle of the Map Film Fest include A Band Called Death and The Frames: In a Deep Shade.

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"This Grey Goose tastes like water."  Brett Gretsky promotes its new release.

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I insist that Tyga supervise the soundtrack to the hypothetical sequel of Idiocracy.  After listening to the entirety of the young star's Molly-centric Hotel California album, I question America's sustainability.

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Christian McBride played the National Anthem at an NBA game last week.

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I loathe TV comedians, but I have to admit that I laughed at Jimmy Kimmel's Coachella-related stunt.

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I can't wait to hear this week's new albums by JD Allen, the Appleseed Cast, Brass Bed, Fantasia, Har Mar Superstar, Wallace Roney, Edward Simon, Snoop Lion, Thee Oh Sees, Craig Taborn, Frank Turner, Carlos Vives and Rob Zombie.  Cowboy Indian Bear's Live Old, Die Young  is at the top of my list.

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Kansas City Click: Black Mountain perform at the RecordBar on Tuesday.

Early Graves play the Czar Bar on Wednesday.

Davey's hosts Cowboy Indian Bear on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge- Twelve Reasons To Die

I watched Safe House, a solid action flick starring Denzel Washington (and featuring Rubén Blades) on cable earlier this week.   It was little different than dozens of organized crime, complex caper and government conspiracy movies I've enjoyed.  I could see how it was going to play out within the first fifteen minutes.  I didn't mind.  Familiar formulas can provide solace. 

I feel much the same way about Twelve Reasons To Die, the new collaboration between Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge.  With amusingly self-referential lyrics and a sound that deliberately evokes Curtis Mayfield's Super Fly and Isaac Hayes' Shaft, it's at least as good as Ghost's 1996 2006 classic Fishscale. 

The narrative is… Oh, who am I kidding?  This album has my name written all over it- of course I love it.  Anyone who shares my affection for the Wu-Tang Clan and early '70s blaxploitation soundtracks will adore Twelve Reasons To Die.


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Scott Miller of Game Theory and the Loud Family has died.

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Jeneé Osterheldt wrote a fine profile of Kerwin Young.

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Steddy P. already knows that I don't like his video for "Vacay".

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My former coworker Glenn Jones sure can play guitar with emotional authority.

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The Haxan Cloak's Excavation is every bit as as good as critics have suggested.  RIYL: Tangerine Dream, narcotics, seances.

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Curses!  Just when I thought my feelings for the Three O'Clock had been permanently suppressed, a new compilation has revived those undesirable pangs of nostalgia. 

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Iggy Pop has jokes.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Chelsea Light Moving

Chelsea Light Moving is a flawed album.  The self-titled release by Thurston's Moore's new band is loaded with cringeworthy moments.  Then why do I keep listening?  It's not because of Moore's lyrics.  Seemingly intended as an homage to Patti Smith and Lou Reed, Moore's good intentions frequently go awry without the editorial guidance he must have received in Sonic Youth.

But those guitars… 

In the same way classic rock and technical metal fans adore the exhibitions of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, I relish hearing Moore's scuzzy post-punk constructs.  More than nostalgia is at play.  Sure, I bought Evol as a new release in 1986 and saw Sonic Youth a few months later at the Outhouse.  Moore's riffs may be recycled, but they're timeless.

An 18-minute performance for KEXP captures the Chelsea Light Moving aesthetic.


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I didn't know that George Jackson co-wrote "Old Time Rock and Roll" until I read his obituary yesterday.   So "Down Home Blues" is an answer song to the Bob Seger hit?  Mind blown. 

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Chi Cheng of Deftones has died.

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Farout, the bearded dude in Brett Gretzky, may be Missouri's next hip hop star.  The duo's "Crows" is available as a free download.

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I'll listen to the new albums by Kid Cudi, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Flaming Lips, Ghost B., Ghostface Killah, Volbeat and Mel Waiters, as soon as I get my fill of the latest dispatch from Willie Nelson.

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Kansas City Click: The RecordBar hosts The Mowgli's on Tuesday.

Fear Factory is at the Riot Room on Wednesday.

Spooner Oldham (!) supports Pegi Young at the Riot Room Czar Bar on Thursday.

Flux Pavilion will light up the Midland on Friday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

It Serves Me Right To Suffer

News of Jimmy Dawkins' passing caused me to reflect on my relationship with the blues. 

During the last big blues scare I avidly consumed the music.  I frequented gigs by the likes of Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, Little Hatch and Jimmy Rogers and avidly kept tabs on the new release schedules of labels like Delmark Records. 

Money is tighter these days and I have to deal with the real-life challenges faced by most adults.  While I have plenty of reasons to embrace the blues, the form no longer holds much interest for me.  Am I a loathsome bandwagon-jumper or has the quality of the blues scene diminished?

Soul and R&B-oriented acts like Linda Shell & Her Blues Thang and Bobby Rush excepted, I'm not inclined to spend a Friday night at a club listening to a blues band.  Even acclaimed outliers don't stir me.  Most of the blues I listen to for pleasure was recorded before 1970.

It serves me right to suffer.


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Dave Douglas reconfigured my DNA earlier this week.  Here's my review of his appearance at the Blue Room.

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Mac Lethal is in cranky old man mode on "Late 20's & Early 30's.  I like it, but I'll be even happier when he starts complaining about 1099s and mortgage deduction paperwork.)

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Here's an update on Kerwin Young's affiliation with Public Enemy.

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KJHK filmed an in-studio session by Fourth of July.

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Kvelertak is my favorite thing right now.

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I pray that I never outgrow my love for sleazy rock albums like Too High Too Kross by the Dirty Fences.

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This Is The End, Beautiful Friend is a set of the "silent final grooves of records" available at the Free Music Archive.  RIYL: vinyl, noise, mixtapes. 

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Fat Loser Problems

Going to Coachella? You’re a Loser and Part of the Problem and Probably Fat, an essay currently making the usual social media rounds, amused me.

Still a bit punch-drunk from the 24 hours I logged at the three-day Middle of the Map festival, I'm sympathetic to the sentiment expressed in the cynical screed.  The truth, however, is that I relish excess.  I embrace the novel opportunity to take in performances by honky tonk, punk and hip hop acts within a single hour.

Putting up with chatty Cathys and drunk Daves who would otherwise rarely set foot in a live music venue is a small price to pay for the experience.  (I even grew fond of the wasted Wendy who followed me around on Saturday.)

Besides, the relatively small scale of Middle of the Map meant that the furthest I ever stood from any performer was when I retreated to the balcony of the Uptown Theater during Grizzly Bear's stellar set to take this crummy shot.  The irrepressible Dutch Newman even collided with me during his performance.


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My notes on the final day of the Middle of the Map festival are part of this report.

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Regarding the "Accidental Racist" brouhaha: The controversy shouldn't center on the well-intentioned Brad Paisley or the deeply regrettable contribution of LL Cool J.  The real issue is that the milquetoast star is considered a "visionary" (Brian Mansfield in today's USA Today) by the Nashville establishment.  As a wise man once said, "It's been the same way for years- we need to change."

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God bless Willie Nelson.  The EPK for his forthcoming album showcases the "good" Willie.  (Tip via BGO.)

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The "season finale" of the KC Cypher Series is an important document of Kansas City's hip hop scene, but I can't sign off on most of the contributions.  The three best participants are Nesto the Owner, Riv Locc and Paul Mussan.

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I'm going to listen to the latest releases from James Blake, Stone Sour, the Knife, Device, the Dave Douglas Quintet, Jake Bugg, Paramore, John Medeski, Eric Church, Steve Kuhn and Kurt Vile only after I tire of Julieta Venegas' new Los Momentos album.

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Kansas City Click: The Slide Brothers perform at Knuckleheads on Tuesday.

Garbage plays the VooDoo Lounge on Wednesday.

Rob Scheps and Jerry Dodgion appear at Take Five Coffee + Bar on Thursday.

Alaturka returns to Kansas City Academy on Friday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Where the Bands Are

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry after I witnessed a professional music presenter lament the diminishing "culture of supporting live music" earlier this week.  My friend was addressing an audience of less than two dozen people as he introduced a five-piece band.  An hour later I began jockeying for position at several crowded nightclubs in Westport.  Elsewhere in Kansas City that evening, Icelandic band Sigur Rós performed to a reported 4,500 fans at Starlight Theatre while the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, an ensemble that regular attracts 1,000 people at its concerts, appeared at Helzberg Hall.  I need to invite my myopic pal out for a night on the town.


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Here's my coverage of day one and day two of the Middle of the Map festival.  My five favorite performances so far?  The Appleseed Cast, Dutch Newman, Grizzly Bear, Owen Pallett and the Last Bison.

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Hugh McCracken has died.

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A television station documents a performance by Diane "Mama" Ray.

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Here's a fundraising video for Kansas City's Fado Novato.

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Dwight Frizzell made a promotional video for his chamber opera Darwin.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Ben Goldberg- Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues

Every nine months or so, I visit the back room of a restaurant in a suburb of Kansas City to hear musicians play an oddly stifled but nonetheless appealing version of Dixieland and traditional jazz.  I'd attend more often if the technically masterful musicians attempted to fuse Dixieland's wild polyphony with more progressive concepts.

That's precisely what clarinetist Ben Goldberg and cohorts including saxophonist Joshua Redman and trumpeter Ron Miles do on Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues.  I construe the recording as Dixieland filtered through Oliver Nelson, Thelonious Monk and Henry Threadgill.  A hint of klezmer is thrown into the mix for good measure.

Dig how Goldberg and Redman get tangled up in the duet "Study of the Blues".  The full band offers convoluted funk  on "The Because Of".  Alcide Nunez lives.


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Unfold Ordinary Mind, Goldberg's recently released collaboration with a band including Ellery Eskelin and Nels Cline, doesn't excite me as nearly as much as Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues.

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Producer Phil Ramone has died.

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The Ink magazine that hits newsstands tomorrow contains my descriptions of 25 of the acts featured at this week's Middle of the Map festival.

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Marky Ramone and Andrew W.K. are teaming up for a tour.  Road trip to Chicago in October?

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The video for Kleenex Girl Wonder's "Nubs" is hilariously profane.

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XXL's 2013 Freshman class is documented here.

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I'm going to listen to today's new releases from the Black Angels, Bring Me the Horizon, Killswitch Engage, Sevendust, Tyler, the Creator and Gretchen Wilson as soon as I'm finished absorbing Gerald Clayton's Life Forum.

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Kansas City Click: Adrenaline Mob hit the VooDoo Lounge on Tuesday.

Sallie Ford performs at the RecordBar on Wednesday.

The music portion of the Middle of the Map festival runs Thursday through Saturday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Ces Cru- Constant Energy Struggles

I've been tracking Ces Cru's gradual ascendence on Kansas City's hip hop scene at There Stands the Glass for over five years.  I was happy for the duo when they signed to Strange Music.  It's the big break they deserve.  So what does Ces Cru rap about about on the new album Constant Energy Struggles?  They rap about about the big break they deserve.  The dominant subject matter of the album is disappointing.  I have limited tolerance for self-absorbed careerist raps.  The first five songs on Constant Energy Struggles are about Ces Cru's status in the hip hop community.  What a waste.  The superlative production and dazzling flows of Godemis and Ubiquitous are markedly superior to most of the competition.  I don't need Ces Cru to overstate the obvious.  "When Worlds Collide" is representative of the album's best and worst qualities.


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Bobby Rush's outing at the Living Room in Knuckleheads might be my favorite performance of 2013.  Here's my review.

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UMKC created a fine tribute to Aaron Markarian, the Conservatory of Music and Dance student who was recently murdered in his off-campus apartment.

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"If You Say So", a song from the Grisly Hand's forthcoming Country Singles album, is RIYL Lone Justice, X, Gram and Emmylou. 

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A friend insists that Wavves' Afraid of Heights is "the most important album in fifteen years."  Nope.  It sounds like a really good album by the Get Up Kids, Green Day or Weezer.  And that's good enough for me.

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Fred Eaglesmith chides Johnny (Cash)-come-latelys. 

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"So you guys are into jazz?"  Wolf continues Tyler, the Creator's ongoing troll.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Case for Smooth Jazz

I'm genuinely looking forward to hearing Joe Sample perform at White Recital Hall tonight.  As a member of the Crusaders and as a solo artist, Sample played a pivotal role in putting the "smooth" into jazz.  Sample has a lot to answer for. 

And what of it?  Sample may have perfected the smooth jazz template, but he shouldn't be held responsible for the sins of his musical descendants.  Even his funk-pop hits like the Crusaders' "Street Life" were indelibly smooove. 

Besides, context is everything.  Anyone who's experienced the functional music in the proper situations understands the ongoing appeal of smooth jazz.  Sample may have created a monster, but it's a beast I contentedly embrace. 



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I reviewed Jimmy Webb's performance at Knucklheads on Friday.

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The schedule for the Middle of the Map festival has been finalized.

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I just downloaded Baktun Baby, a new four-song EP by Spirit is the Spirit.

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Here's an EPK for Gene Clark's Here Tonight: The White Light Demos.  The album was released today.

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An old friend is affiliated with the Sin City Soul & Blues Revival.  It's not exactly my thing, but the idea of hearing James Harman, Lil' Ed, John Cleary and over two dozen additional like-minded bands in Las Vegas is intriguing.

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Andre Royo, aka Bubbles from The Wire, tells the world "What's In My Bag".

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I'll audition the latest releases from Wavves, Lil Wayne, Chvrches and Kvelertak as soon as I finish listening to Shirley Caesar's new album.

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Kansas City Click: Pop Evil performs Tuesday at Aftershock.

Masta Killa appears at the Riot Room on Wednesday.

Tear Out the Heart hit the Riot Room on Thursday.

Fat Fish Blues hosts Nick Moss and the Flip Tops on Friday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Bebo Valdés, 1918-2013

Bebo Valdés died yesterday in his adopted home of Stockholm.  The native Cuban had quite a life.  I've enjoyed Bebo Rides Again since its release in 1995.  The crystalline sound quality continues to astound me.  Yet I've come to prefer his scratchy pre-revolution recordings from the 1950s.  Hearing the life-affirming stuff causes me to wonder why I bother listening to anything else.


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I reviewed Jimmy Webb's outing at Knuckleheads last night.

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Jeneé Osterheldt wrote an excellent column about Ces Cru.

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Tim Finn tracked Radkey's activities at SXSW.

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The members of the Architects are soliciting funds for a forthcoming project.

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KJHK documented a performance by CS Luxem.

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Does anyone else remember spending hour after hour listening to bootlegs of Prince outtakes in the 1990s?  I'd forgotten about that frustrating exercise until I spent time with Inc.'s No World.

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Philip Glass shreds.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Yes at the Midland

If my 18-year-old self knew that I would willingly buy a $40 ticket to a concert by Yes in 2013, I may have spitefully cut off my callow ears.  I bought into the idea that the overblown music of Yes represented everything that was "wrong."  At this late date, however, such dated musical turf battles seem silly.

Two recent events compelled me to join the audience of about 2,000 at the Midland on Monday.  Peter Banks, a founder of Yes, died March 7.  He was 65.  Secondly, Animal Collective postponed a round of dates that included a show this week at the Midland.  The art-rock band's fans may object to the assertion, but Animal Collective's aesthetic makes it an indirect descendent of Yes.  It seemed like a case of now-or-never if I was ever going to experience a concert by the historically vindicated band.

I'm glad I pulled the trigger even though Yes' horrid lyrics have grown more annoying over the years.  And the current spot-on singer reminded me that I never cared for Jon Anderson's voice.  But the entirely unobtrusive (!) keyboardist Geoff Downes kept his back to the audience.  Drummer Alan White also stayed in the background.

The show was all about bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe.  Both were spectacular.  Squire played with a surprisingly bluesy touch while Howe revealed that his playing is inspired by the same things that made John Renbourn, Bert Jansch and Richard Thompson such compelling guitarists.  And the sound in the Midland was almost perfect for the complete recreation of Close To the Edge, The Yes Album and Going For the One. 

Not my cuppa, but I was so impressed that I tried to initiate a chant of "One. More. Album." before the encore.  The old guys played "Roundabout" instead.  It's hard to complain- the five veterans with a cumulative age of about 300 played two-and-a-half-hours not including a 25-minute intermission.


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I reviewed Randy Brecker's appearance with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.

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I reviewed the Elder's concert at the Uptown Theater on Saturday.

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Jack Greene has died.

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Jason Molina has died.

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Radkey, an official SXSW showcase band, was the subject of a brief profile in the New York Times.

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The forthcoming season of the Harriman-Jewell Series is remarkable.

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Olassa made a video for "Where Will I Live".

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I like the 2013 lineup of the Mayhem Festival.

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Help, I'm hypnotized ! Completely mesmerized!

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Robert Randolph Presents: The Slide Brothers is charming.  RIYL: Robert Randolph, Derek & the Dominoes, Gary Clark Jr.

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Kendrick Lamar disses Trinidad James on a new remix of "B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe."

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"Get off your phone!  Put it down!"  That's Action Bronson's message to an audience at SXSW.

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Kansas City Click: Lydia Loveless in on Tuesday's bill at the RecordBar.

Tower of Power plays Knuckleheads on Wednesday.

Gypsyhawk is Thursday's headliner at the Riot Room.

Jimmy Webb returns to Knuckleheads on Friday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Kansas City Chorale at Asbury United Methodist Church

My worst concert-going experience in recent memory transpired Tuesday at Asbury United Methodist Church in Prairie Village, Kansas.   It wasn't the un-amplified performance of the Kansas City Chorale that caused me grief.  The ensemble was wonderful.  At least, I assume it was.  

The problem was the boorish behavior of an alarming portion of the attendees.  Apparently compelled to hear the Chorale in the wake of the blitz of positive publicity that followed the receipt of another Grammy Award last month, the capacity audience included a few dozen people who made it clear that they really didn't want to be there.  The atmosphere was akin to dining at a trendy new restaurant while surrounded by an anxious clientele that suddenly remembered that they didn't care for that particular type of cuisine. 

I overheard one codger hectoring his wife about the price of tickets.  Even with their senior citizen discount, he complained, tickets were $20 each.  I paid $30 for the privilege of listening to the old guy complain throughout the first portion of the concert.  Several of his peers regularly emitted exasperated sighs.  Based on the steady barrage of noise he made, I can only assume that the old man seated directly behind me was focused on an intricate origami project.  While slightly more discrete, the women seated on either side of me transformed their programs into noisemakers when they weren't fussing with candy wrappers.

Conductor Charles Bruffy must have sensed the discontent.  He pleaded with the audience to limit applause so that the program could progress more quickly.  I trust that the next time I see Bruffy at work he won't feel obliged to rush. 


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I walked out on a locally-based band last weekend when it launched into "Kansas City."  It's one thing to play the tired song for tourists at a downtown bar.  But the gig in question was almost certainly attended exclusively by locals.  I'd rather hear "Mustang Sally."  Cut it out.

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Here's episode #10 of the KC Cypher series.  My favorite participants are Rondoe and Godemis of Ces Cru. 

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I have no reason to believe that the rapturous reviews aren't justified, but I just can't bring myself to listen to David Bowie's new album.

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After taking in the streaming version of last night's SXSW showcase by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, I gave the band's new Push the Sky Away album another chance.  Listening to it under the stars changed everything.  It rocketed to #8 on my ranking of the Best Albums of 2013.

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Nerds!

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image of the audience's version of a vuvuzela by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Kairy Koshoeva and the Owen/Cox Dance Group- Polsky Theatre

I used to think about love, mortality and God as I listened to the Goldberg Variations.  Not anymore.  A concert at Polsky Theatre on Monday may have forever altered the associations I'll make when I hear Bach's famous work.  A performance by the Owen/Cox Dance Group accompanied Kairy Koshoeva as she played the variations in its entirety.  Jennifer Owen's creative choreography managed to make the composition seem like a natural modern dance soundtrack.  The sole flaw occurred at the conclusion of a few segments as Koshoeva's otherwise stellar playing was sullied by the necessity of monitoring the readiness of the dancers.  The free performance served as a preview of a June 8 concert at White Recital Hall.


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I did not expect much of Scotty McCreery at the Uptown Theater on Saturday.  The kid impressed me.  Here's my review.

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Strange Music continues to crank out videos.  Here are the moving pictures for Ces Cru's "When Worlds Collide".

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I've long suggested that Mac Lethal could be a successful television or radio personality.  Here's proof.

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Eccentric Soul: The Dynamic Label is the latest reissue from the Numero Group.

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Coming to the Stiefel Theatre in Salina, Kansas: the Beach Boys, Cheap Trick, Joan Baez, Ian Anderson and Boz Scaggs.

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Here's the latest dispatch from Earl Sweatshirt.

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Kansas City Click: Freedy Johnston plays the Czar Bar on Tuesday.  I'm not sure if he's willing to play "Trying To Tell You I Don't Know" anymore.

DJ Abilities appears at the Czar Bar on Wednesday.  (R.I.P. Eyedea.)

Sam Baker performs at a house concert on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Ashley Monroe- Like a Rose

Oh, hell yes!  Ashley Monroe's new Like a Rose offers evidence that the Nashville establishment remains capable of producing proper traditional country albums.  Like a Rose is precisely the kind of honky tonk album that I'd been hoping Miranda Lambert, Monroe's bandmate in the Pistol Annies, would record.

Dozens of alt-country albums are issued every year.  I enjoy a lot of them.  Yet there's something about a slick major label production that adds a satisfying luster to the old-school sound that labels like Bloodshot just can't duplicate.  Like a Rose successfully filters the drinkin' and cheatin' songs of Gary Stewart through Fleetwood Mac's Rumours.  The title of "You Ain't Dolly (And You Ain't Porter)," the album-ending duet with Blake Shelton, reveals the era that inspired the project's rough-hewn sensibility.

Monroe's heroines keep it real.  One is "a dollar short and two weeks late."  Another has painful morning-after regrets.  A third begs her man to spice up their sex life.  "She's Driving Me Out of Your Mind" is an old-fashioned weeper.  "Used", the most conventional track, possesses the low-key angst associated with Alison Krauss.  The title track is one of the few positive songs.

Fans of Gary Allan, Shelby Lynne, the Mavericks, Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis are encouraged to board this train. 



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I'd forgotten how much I loved Paid In Full until I heard Rakim perform much of the seminal album Wednesday.  Here's my review.

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Jazz organist Melvin Rhyne has died.

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I've spent much of my adult life embarrassing myself by confusing Alvin Lee with Albert Lee.  Alvin Lee died this week.

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Tiny Horse has a video for its acclaimed song "Ride".

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Ces Cru is on fire.

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Olassa performed on a local television program.

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Is it nostalgia, brain damage or good taste that causes me to adore the new self-titled album by Dallas' Mothership?  RIYL: Black Sabbath, Goblin Cock, Judas Priest.

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The video for DJ Muggs' "Soundclash Business" is amusing.  My glowing review of his album is here.

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The video for bentcousin's "bent paperboy" is appropriately charming.  My review of the British duo's debut album is here.

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"For Those Who Love the Lizz"!  Gypsyhawk is my new favorite thing.

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Between Krokus' Dirty Dynamite and a live album by Rhino Bucket, 2013 is already a banner year for aficionados of AC/DC knockoffs.  (I'm one of them.)

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I listened to the entirety of Rhye's Woman.  It's smooove.  RIYL: Sade, Seal, George Michael.

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Antonio Sanchez's New Life sounds like the best jazz album of 1994.  It came out this week.  Hey, I loved 1994.  RIYL: Michael Brecker, Steps Ahead, Tony Williams.

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The trailer for a documentary titled The Power of Soul contains a couple tantalizing moments.

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I love all readers of There Stands the Glass.  (Not really, but it's a nice thought.)  Even so, BGO's recent comment is one of the best in the history of this blog: I'd go see J.P. Harris if I had a designated driver and I didn't have to get up early the next day. Listening to him is a real throwback and the sincerity seems authentic. Who shows up for the likes of him anyways? Hipsters? Bumpkins? Old men like me? Dime-a-dance dames in fancy dresses?  Thanks, as always, BGO.

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Kansas City Click: My top picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Joe Budden- No Love Lost

I'd characterize my viewing of the television series Love and Hip Hop as a guilty pleasure, but I don't really enjoy watching the reality show.  Yet I can't tear myself away from the shrill drama perpetuated by misguided rappers and their farcical love interests. 

The supposed real life of Joe Budden looks miserable.  I've always liked the guy and I'm a big fan of his supergroup Slaughterhouse.  Unfortunately, nothing on Budden's new hit album No Love Lost is remotely as good as the all-star collective's recent "Throw It Away.

The project contains "She Don't Put It Down", my least favorite current radio song.  It's frustrating because Budden can't be written off.  A few of No Love Lost's tracks are effective.   The guilty conscious he exposes on the confessional "Skeletons" is a hip hop rarity.  "Castles" is a solid put-down of his hangers-on.

Budden recites the Serenity Prayer on the opening track.  I'm so grateful that I don't have his problems.


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I ponder Alaturka's new album Yalniz at Plastic Sax.

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Here's footage of Tony Tixier and Diverse performing at a house concert last weekend.  (I'm hiding in a back corner of the elegant room.)

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Readers can also spot me in the video of the Beautiful Bodies' "Invincible".

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Schorre's Son, the latest release by Dutch Newman, includes features by Ron Ron, Stik Figa, B Double E, the Phantom and Joey Cool.

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The lineup for the 2013 edition of Rockfest is solid. There are even a couple bands- including Heaven's Basement- that I haven't already seen.

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I encourage anyone who's Austin-bound for SXSW to check out the Midcoast Takeover.

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Hey, Paul Weller digs Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil and Ethiopian jazz!

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Free Lil' Poopy!

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Kansas City Click: Patrick Krief performs at the RecordBar on Tuesday.

J.P. Harris appears at Knuckleheads on Wednesday.

The Blue Room hosts Amina Figarova and her band on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: New Ear- Strangely Familiar at All Souls Unitarian Church and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

"We're in a spaceship here," composer Paul Rudy said as he pointed to the futuristic protuberance on the ceiling of the foyer of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.  "It's just masquerading as a museum." 

An audience of about 125 heard the world premiere of Rudy's "Martian Chronicles" on Friday, March 1.  Mark Southerland's saxophones and horn sculptures took the lead during the spacey piece as the members of New Ear provided accompaniment.  After I realized that the rudderless composition didn't have a determined destination I was able to enjoy the ride.  Only the repeated use of an irritating and incongruous vibraslap-style percussion effect interfered with the celestial journey.  (KCUR produced an excellent piece about "Martian Chronicles.")

The first half of New Ear's "Strangely Familiar" program across the street at All Souls Unitarian Church was even better.  Lawrence Figg's cello playing over the spectral prerecorded sounds on "fits + starts" clearly blew the minds of the stoned college-age kids seated near me.  Robert Pherigo's work on treated piano during " Still Sorrowing" blew my mind in turn.  Jan Faidley and Thomas Aber evoked the work of the World Saxophone Quartet on the Tim Berne-inspired "We Speak Etruscan."  Only a composition by Chong Kee Yong failed to delight me.  It sounded a riot in a yoga studio. 

The Kansas City Star published a proper review of Friday's concert.


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I reviewed a concert by 3 Doors Down, Daughtry and Aranda.

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I introduced selections by six locally-based artists on Friday's edition of KCUR's Up to Date. 

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"We had that Bannister Mall crackin'!"  Here's the video for Kutt Cahoun's "I Been Dope" from his new Black Gold album.

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Here's a four-minute promo video for Kanrocksas. 

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Van Cliburn has died.

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The openng segment of a new documentary about the Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin is amazing.

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Gionvanni Guidi's City of Broken Dreams seems promising.

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I listened to the new ambient album Selected Studies, Vol. 1 by Lloyd Cole (yes, that Lloyd Cole) and Hans-Joachim Roedelius as I read last night.  Thumbs up.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: A Celebration of the Poetry of Langston Hughes at White Recital Hall

I've written more than my fair share of tepid reviews.  I'm therefore unable to object to the lukewarm response a critic for The Washington Post gave to a Vinson Cole recital two months ago. 

Yet the famed vocalist's performance for an audience of about fifty at White Recital Hall on Sunday was as dazzling as anything I've heard in recent months.  Cole's affecting renditions of John Musto's "Litany" and Margaret Bond's "Minstrel Man" during a free concert titled A Celebration of the Poetry of Langston Hughes stirred my soul.

The majority of the concert was dedicated to the work of William Averitt.  The composer was in attendance.  The notes he wrote for the program refer to the blues, gospel and jazz inflections in his compositions.  I didn't hear much of that.  In fact, his settings were antithetical to this treatment of Hughes' work. 

I was struck by the way in which Averitt's treatments successfully placed the poetry of Hughes in contemporary classical settings.  The performances by the 24-member Conservatory Singers under the direction of Robert Bode and the accompaniment by pianists Lee D. Thompson and Melissa Loehnig were splendid.


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I reviewed the audio version of Pat Metheny's The Orchestrion Project at Plastic Sax.

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Steve Paul wrote an extensive profile of Prairie Village native Joyce DiDonato.

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Erik Voeks' new album Sandbox is RIYL Tommy Keene, Marshall Crenshaw, Young Fresh Fellows. (Initial tip from There Stands the Glass reader Gary.)

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Kutt Calhoun's Black Gold was released today.  "Self Preservation" is a representative track.

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Kenny Clutch, the Kansas City-affiliated rapper who was killed in the highly-publicized shooting on the Las Vegas strip, was clearly influenced by Rich the Factor. (Tip about the local connection via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Electric Word, the new album by the Relatives, is RIYL if you like the Holmes Brothers, church, the Black Keys.

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I'm slated to appear on KCUR's Up to Date program at 11 a.m. CST on Friday. 

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Kansas City Click: Sleepy LaBeef is slated to perform Tuesday at Knuckleheads.

The Blue Room hosts a tribute to J Dilla on Wednesday.

Todd Clouser performs at the Brick on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: Soweto Kinch- The Legend of Mike Smith

Every so often an album is released that seems to have been made exactly to my idiosyncratic specifications.  Ornette Coleman's harmolodics?  Check.  Intellectually ambitious hip hop?  Check.  Sprawling narrative?  Check. 

I'm compelled to believe that Soweto Kinch crafted his new The Legend of Mike Smith with me in mind.  Can there really be anyone else in the universe who loves The Streets' A Grand Don't Come for Free, Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, Ornette Coleman's In All Languages, Steve Coleman's Sine Die and the first Run the Road grime compilation?

The Legend of Mike Smith is the story of a day in the life of an aspiring rapper in which the seven deadly sins lay a series of traps.  Kinch employs instrumental jazz and uncommonly eloquent hip hop to track Smith's saga over the course of 140 minutes.  While kept separate, the album explicates the natural symbiosis between the two forms.  Even so, I wonder if the absence of a single representative track will cause the album to get overlooked.  It's my understanding that the recording is a spinoff of a theatrical production.  And it's possible that those elements- despite my immediate enthusiasm- will ultimately prevent the project from standing up to repeated listening.

For now, at least, I'm over the moon for The Legend of Mike Smith.  The album inspires me to make grandiose comparisons.  It's the British answer to Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City!  It's the Sandinista! of the new millennium!  Or how about this- it's There Stands the Glass' 2013 album of the year.


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Magic Slim has died.  He was one of my favorite touring artists during the last great blues boom.  Howard Reich wrote a fine obituary.

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Kevin Ayers, best known for his work with Soft Machine, has died.

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"Roses" is a track from Red Line Chemistry's forthcoming album.

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The ACBs have a gory video for "Television."

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After shoveling snow for ninety minutes on Thursday, I unthawed to Nicola Benedetti's Silver Violin.  Nodding out to the often syrupy album with the violinist's visage dancing through my head was exceedingly pleasant.  I may make crossover classical albums my new thing.

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I'm digging these new reissues: Leon Thomas' The Creator 1969-1973: The Best Of The Flying Dutchman Masters and Pied Piper Presents - A New Concept In Detroit Soul.

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Inspectah Deck's Czarface gets my seal of approval.

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Chicago Red, the new release by Brad Goode, contains much of the same rhythmic funk and guitar skronk of Christian Scott's exemplary 2012 album Christian aTunde Adjuah.  So good.

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Euphoric Defilement!

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Kevin Eubank's new album The Messenger is a nice surprise.  RIYL: Weather Report, Charlie Byrd, Dave Holland.

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The zeitgeist: Miranda Lambert's "Time To Get a Gun".  ("I could afford one if I did just a little less drinkin'.")

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Bronx- IV

I never fell in love with the Foo Fighters.  Sure, the band's back story is amazing and I share the rest of the world's affection for Dave Grohl.  But whenever I hear one of the band's hits I wish it was just a little dirtier and bit less corporate.  The Bronx have made that sound in my head a reality with their new album IV.  It's precisely the sort of big, obvious anthemic rock that will always have a place of honor in my rotation.


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Hey, look!  Here's documentation of a 2006 show by the Bronx at the RecordBar.  And lest you forget, the Bronx's alter ego is pretty amazing.

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I reviewed concerts by Kenny Garrett and Kurt Elling last weekend.

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I reviewed the debut album by Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle at Plastic Sax.

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Coming to terms with the death of Donald Byrd is just too much for me to deal with right now.  I'll simply note that I bought a "Walking In Rhythm" 45 when I was a kid.

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Alice Russell's new song "Twin Peaks" is RIYL Amy Winehouse, Dusty Springfield, Adele.

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Oh, for f***'s sake!  Check out the lineup for Jazz Aspen Snowmass.

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Here's a list of the releases for Record Store Day 2013.  Put me down for Husker Du (7"), Sir Douglas Quintet (7") and Eric Church (LP).

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Michelle Rosewoman's new project looks great, but asking for $23,000 seems like a bit much even if Oliver Lake is in the mix.

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The debut album by the new "supergroup" Pinnick Gales Pridgen is RIYL Robin Trower, "Sunshine of Your Love, the 1970s.  (That said, I genuinely want to see 'em live.)

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I hate to sound like a whiny twit, but the decision to make the new "Bryan Ferry" album sound as if it was recorded in 1928 doesn't work for me.

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SSION just dropped a stunning video for "High".  RIYL: mullets, Arthur Baker, creepy basements.

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Kansas City Click: Max Groove returns to the Green Lady Lounge on Tuesday.

Torn the F*** Apart appears at the Riot Room on Wednesday.

Cantus sings at the Folly Theater on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

I'll Spot You

My lifelong dream has been fulfilled.  Thanks to a new phone that works almost seamlessly with a streaming music service, I enjoy instant access to a significant portion of the world's recordings from any location.  By paying Spotify $9.99 a month, I can listen to Thelonious Himself at the dentist's office.  Rihanna is there for me on the treadmill.  Rocket To Russia makes standing in line at the post office more bearable.  I can take a midnight stroll with Igor Stravinsky.

It's a far cry from the years I in which I made a weekly trip to one or two record stores to spend all the money I could spare- usually just $10 or $20- on a handful of albums. 

A friend characterizes Spotify as an updated version of Napster.  And to be sure, Spotify's interface isn't appealing.  Unlike my friend's allegiance to the social aspects of the competing streaming service Rdio, using Spotify is a solitary affair.  Yet in spite of glaring holdouts like the majority of the ECM Records catalog, I'm attracted to Spotify's superior selection. 

I'm using Spotify's playlist feature to track my favorite music of 2013.  I've already listened to 39 new albums in their entirety.  My favorites are listed in order here.  A list of my favorite songs of 2013 is here.


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John Medeski overthinks his forthcoming solo piano album.

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The surviving members of Big Boys reflect on their careers and the evolution of American punk.

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Who's in for Rocklahoma?  (It's only 234 miles from KC…)

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Neither his charisma nor Earl can salvage Tyler, the Creator's disappointing new "Domo 23".

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Erik Voeks puts a Lindsay Buckingham-esque spin on Bad Company Blue Oyster Cult's "Burnin' For You".

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 2 Chainz!

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Terri Lyne Carrington- Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue

When you get into popularity then you're talking about money, not music. -Duke Ellington

Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue is the sort of high-concept album that music geeks adore.  In a nutshell: three of today's most accomplished jazz musicians reinterpret a classic jazz album with bold political perspectives and contemporary sounds.  I applaud the audaciousness of the project.

A core group of drummer and bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist Christian McBride and pianist Gerald Clayton employ a few additional likeminded musicians and a slew of provocative spoken word samples about economics.  The original Money Jungle- a 1963 collaboration between Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach- merely implied what Carrington and her cohorts make explicit. 

The risk of a project of this nature is that the wealth of ideas could easily outshine the music.  That's not the case here.  The album is consistently entertaining.  Its sole fault is that two or three of the piano trio tracks more closely resemble the Ray Brown Trio than the legendary original Money Jungle assemblage.  There are worse things, of course, than hearing McBride emulate his Ray Brown.

Clark Terry's slurry scat on "Fleurette Africain” is just as articulate as the sampled monetary quotes from figures including Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Ron Paul and Condoleezza Rice that are sprinkled throughout the album.   The neo-soul of "Backward Country Boy Blues," featuring vocalist Lizz Wright, is superior to most of Esperanza Spalding's disappointing Radio Music Society.  Mainstream jazz fans may object to these updates, but Carrington's versatility is in line with the progressive inclinations of Ellington, Mingus and Roach.

It's difficult not to interpret Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue as a commentary on today's dismal jazz economy.  This is an essential album made by some of the biggest names in jazz.  Yet it only stands an outside chance at breaking into sales of five figures.  Only a handful of critics have yet to even acknowledge the album's existence.  Amazon's current sales ranking of the February 5 release is #1,178. 

The album closes with Herbie Hancock reading the Ellington quote posted above.  Was Ellington right?  Or was he making a self-serving excuse for the diminished role jazz plays in American culture? 


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I reviewed performances by Willy Moon, Shiny Toy Guns, the Beautiful Bodies and IAmDynamite at the Midland last Friday.

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The KC Cypher Series just got real.  The latest episode features Stik Figa, Riv Locc and Young Fate. Ron Ron (at the 7:37 mark) makes the most interesting appearance. 

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Flatlands Country Music Festival anyone?

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Here he goes again- Mac Lethal's "I Gotta Pee But I'm Too Comfortable To Get Up".

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RCA is pawning off 29 Van Cliburn discs for $80.  EMI is selling 11 Boris Christoff discs for $35. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…"

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I don't care what anyone says- I think Frank Ocean's weird Grammy performance was brilliant.

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The very existence of a hopelessly esoteric new release from Arhoolie Records fills me with joy.  The Wall Street Journal offers perspective.

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Last night I dreamed that I was married to the daughter of Irma Thomas.

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Kansas City Click: Ex-Cult are Tuesday's headliners at the RecordBar.

Lonnie McFadden performs at WestChase Grille on Wednesday.

Carrie Rodriguez returns to Knuckleheads on Thursday.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)