The Sickness

An ongoing battle with the flu has left me feeling like a desiccated bird.  The following loose ends are all I muster at the moment.


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I reviewed Karrin Allyson's concert at the Folly Theater.

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The Kansas City Star published a few dozen top album lists.

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Deborah Brown is Plastic Sax's Person of the Year.

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I participated in a Best Music of 2014 program on KCUR's Up to Date.  I also contributed Local Listen segments about BCR and Oleta Adams to the show.

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I lost my mind over The Gobots' D-Boy Era in 2010.  What Happened to the World, the Jacka's new album, is the best thing he's done since then.  RIYL: Mac Dre, crack, Too Short.  Here's "Gang Starz".

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I had to stop listening to Beautiful Life, Jimmy Greene's tribute to his late daughter, when a children's choir entered on "Ana's Song."

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J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive is entertaining radio rap.  RIYL: Wale, rappers rapping about their careers, Kid Cudi.

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I regret not listening to Sunny Sweeney's Provoked sooner.  It may be the best contemporary country album of 2014.  RIYL: Miranda Lambert, cheatin' songs, Kacey Musgraves.

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Orange Goblin's Back From the Abyss is RIYL: Motorhead, beer, Black Sabbath.

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Sleaford Mod's Divide and Exit is a hoot.  RIYL: Art Brut, getting yelled at, The Fall.

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The hilarious Stromae demonstrates his great taste in a "What's In My Bag?" segment.

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I respect the fact that a lot of my friends adore TV on the Radio's Seeds, but the album is not for me.  At every turn I expect the band to break into "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway."  RIYL: The Mars Volta, punk-prog, The Police's Synchronicity.  Here's "Happy Idiot".

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

No Quarter: The Top Reissues, Compilations and Soundtracks of 2014

Although the sounds on the top three titles listed below rearranged my DNA this year, I inadvertently neglected to include this list in my previous post.  Here's a corresponding Spotify playlist.

The Top Reissues, Compilations and Soundtracks of 2014
1. Francis Bebey- Psychedelic Sanza: 1982-1984
2. Various- Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds, 1960-1978
3. Various- The Sound of Siam, Volume 2- Molam & Luk Thung Isan from North-East Thailand 1970-1982
4. Miles Davis- Miles at The Fillmore: Miles Davis: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 3
5. Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton (soundtrack)
6. Marshall Allen Presents: Sun Ra and His Arkestra- In the Orbit of Ra
7. Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest In Funk & Soul 1965-75
8. Eccentric Soul: The Way Out Label
9. Rolé: New Sounds of Brazil
10. Led Zeppelin- deluxe remasters

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Vote for Me Dummy: The Top Albums, Songs and Shows of 2014

The 50 Top Albums of 2014
Spotify playlist
I preferred Jim Lauderdale to Sturgill Simpson and Keyshia Cole to Mary J. Blige.

1. Flying Lotus- You're Dead!
2. St. Vincent- St. Vincent
3. Peter Schlamb- Tinks
4. Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens- Cold World
5. Against Me!- Transgender Dysphoria Blues
6. The Architects- Border Wars (Episode II)
7. Kris Bowers- Heroes + Misfits
8. Keyshia Cole- Point of No Return
9. Joyce DiDonato- Stella di Napoli
10. Young Fathers- Dead

11. Budos Band- Burnt Offering
12. Jim Lauderdale- I'm a Song
13. Down- Down IV: Part II
14. Shabazz Palaces- Lese Majesty
15. Kelis- Food
16. Pallbearer- Foundations of Burden
17. Toni Braxton and Babyface- Love, Marriage & Divorce
18. Da Cruz- Disco e Progresso
19. Danilo Pérez- Panama 500
20. Leela James- Fall For You

21. The Jacka- What Happened to the World
22. Spoon- They Want My Soul
23. Sturgill Simpson- Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
24. Joyce Yang- Wild Dreams
25. Pat Metheny Unity Group- Kin
26. David Binney- Anacapa
27. Future- Honest
28. D'Angelo- Black Messiah
29. Rosanne Cash- The River & the Thread
30. Ambrose Akinmusire- The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint

31. Mutilation Rites- Harbinger
32. Black Milk- If There's a Hell Below
33. Various Blonde- Summer High
34. The Popper- Values, Respect, Loyalty & Beliefs
35. Angelique Kidjo- Eve
36. Ben Miller Band- Any Way, Shape or Form
37. SZA- Z
38. Lecrae- Anomaly
39. Coltsblood- Into the Unfathomable Abyss
40. Pharrell Williams- Girl

41. Takuya Kuroda- Rising Son
42. Triptykon- Melana Chasmata
43. Bob Mould- Beauty & Ruin
44. Mary J. Blige- The London Sessions
44. Ledisi- The Truth
45. Juilliard String Quartet- Elliott Carter: The Five String Quartets
46. GoGo Penguin- v2.0
47. Iceage- Plowing Into the Field of Love
48. The Project H- We Live Among the Lines
49. Bohren & Der Club of Gore- Piano Nights
50. D/Will- Reset


The 50 Top Songs of 2014
Spotify playlist
It may have been a weak year for albums, but 2014 was a stellar year for songs.

1. Skating Polly- "Alabama Movies"
2. Rick Ross, Kanye West and Big Sean- "Sanctified"
3. Michael Jackson- "Love Never Felt So Good"
4. Kendrick Lamar- "i"
5. Jack White- "High Ball Stepper"
6. Mary J. Blige- "Whole Damn Year"
7. Jeremih and YG- "Don't Tell 'Em"
8. Zara McFarlane- "Open Heart"
9. Jason Eady- "One, Two... Many"
10. Sam Smith- "Stay With Me"

11. Ledisi- "The Truth"
12. Guided By Voices- "Vote for Me Dummy"
13. Drive-By Truckers- "Primer Coat"
14. Joey Bada$$- "Big Dusty"
15. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks- "Lariat"
16. Freeway and the Jacka featuring Killa Mike- "Sunnah Boys"
17. Miniature Tigers- "Swimming Pool Blues"
18. Ex-Hex- "Beast"
19. Yelawolf- "'Til It's Gone"
20. Jhene Aiko- "The Worst"

21. Ume- "Black Stone"
22. Future with André 3000- "Benz Friendz"
23. Jenny Lewis- "Slippery Slopes"
24. Tech N9ne- "Strangeulation 1"
25. Robyn Hitchcock- "The Ghost In You"
26. T-Pain- "Drankin' Patna"
27. Black Lips- "Smiling"
28. Pharoahe Monch- "Damage"
29. Prince- "Funknroll"
30. FKA twigs- "Two Weeks"

31. Leela James featuring Anthony Hamilton- "Say That"
32. Rick Ross with Project Pat- "Elvis Presley Blvd."
33. Nick Waterhouse- "Sleeping Pills"
34. Die Antwoord- "Pitbull Terrier"
35. The Reverend Horton Heat- "Let Me Teach You How To Eat"
36. Doomtree- ".38 Airweight"
37. Julión Alvarez y su Norteño Banda- "Te Hubieras Ido Antes"
38. Tinashe- "2 On"
39. Yusuf- "Dying to Live"
40. Lizzo- "Paris"

41. Bonnie "Prince" Billy- "Quail and Dumplings"
42. Clipping- "Work Work"
43. Bobby Shmurda- "Hot Boy"
44. Beyoncé- "7/11"
45. Colbie Caillat- "Try"
46. Slipknot- "Custer"
47. F*cked Up- "Sun Glass"
48. Rickie Lee Jones- "Been on a Train"
49. Regina Carter- "Hickory Wind"
50. Big K.R.I.T.- "Cadillactica"


The 50 Top Shows of 2014
I'm going to fall about a dozen gigs short of my annual benchmark of 365.

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- Midland theater
2. Jessica Care Moore- Blue Room
3. Pat Metheny Unity Group- Topeka Performing Arts Center
4. Kraftwerk- Sony Centre (Toronto)
5. Bettye LaVette- Knuckleheads
6. Marijuana Deathsquads- RecordBar
7. Pharaoh Sanders- Blues Alley (Washington D.C.)
8. Miguel Zenón- Blue Room
9. Spoon- Liberty Hall
10. Lecrae- Independence Events Center

11. Kronos Quartet- Helzberg Hall
12. T-Pain- Crossroads KC
13. Living Color- Knuckleheads
14. Marmozets- Warped Tour at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
15. Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola- The Brick
16. Deborah Brown with Joe Lovano and Terrel Stafford- Prairie Village Jazz Festival
17. Chrisette Michele- Uptown Theater
18. Tony Bennett- Muriel Kauffman Theatre
19. Nicola Benedetti- Folly Theater
20. Maze- Municipal Auditorium

21. Sam Baker and Mary Gauthier- Folly Theater
22. Allen Toussaint- Folly Theater
23. Ladysmith Black Mambazo- Liberty Hall
24. Bahia Orchestra Project- Helzberg Hall
25. Shabazz Palaces- Riot Room patio
26. Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey- RecordBar
27. Nickel Creek- Uptown Theater
28. St. Vincent- Liberty Hall
29. Wolf Eyes- Riot Room patio
30. Joan Sebastian- Cricket Wireless Amphitheater

31. John Cale- Lawrence Arts Center
32. Black Label Society- Penn Valley Park
33. Morris Day & the Time- Parade Park
34. Burt Bacharach- Muriel Kauffman Theatre
35. Brad Cox- La Esquina
36. Marcus Hampton- Gem Theater
37. Regina Carter- Helzberg Hall
38. Lalah Hathaway- KC Live
39. Eric Taylor- Knuckleheads
40. Judas Priest- Midland theater

41. Brad Mehldau Trio- Folly Theater
42. Fitz & the Tantrums- KC Live
43. Eric Benét- KC Live
44. Peter Noone's Herman's Hermits- Town Center Plaza
45. John Scofield- Folly Theater
46. Guitarras Ibericas- Recital Hall at the Carlsen Center
47. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra- Muriel Kauffman Theatre
48. Vine Street Rumble- Celebration at the Station at Union Station
49. Hunter Hayes- Sprint Center
50. Brother Ali- The Granada


The Ten Best Opening Acts of 2014
I get there early.

1.Suicidal Tendencies- Uptown Theater, for Slayer
2. Pusha T- Midland theater, for 2 Chainz
3. Kvelertak- Uptown Theater, for Mastodon
4. Electric Würms- Crossroads KC, for the Flaming Lips
5. King 810- Sprint Center, for Slipknot
6. Sarah Jarosz- Uptown Theater, for Nickel Creek
7. Thy Art Is Murder- Aftershock, for Emmure
8. Judy Collins- Knuckleheads, for Don McLean
9. Gary Clark, Jr.- for Kings of Leon, Sprint Center
10. Death Vessel- Horseshoe Tavern (Toronto), for Shearwater

(Original image of Hunter Hayes by There Stands the Glass.)

Ian McLagan, 1945-2014

I've never met Mick Jagger.  It's probably just as well.  After all, what would we talk about?  I don't have any insights into jet ownership or luxury apartments in Cannes.  Talking to Ian McLagan was easy.  The occasional sideman for the Rolling Stones and a founding member of the Small Faces and the Faces was one of rock's most approachable stars.  Back when SXSW was more of a regional music conference than a global marketing platform, I made a point of catching McLagan perform at the Saxon Pub every March.  Watching a British legend joyously perform in a Texas roadhouse thrilled me.  His appearance in Kansas City at Davey's Uptown in 2004 (or maybe it was 2005) was even more rewarding.  Alas, McLagan's 2013 gig at Danny's in Lenexa was merely adequate.  McLagan died last week.


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I reviewed Jenny Lewis' concert at Liberty Hall.

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My favorite jazz performances of 2014 are listed at Plastic Sax.

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It would be churlish of me not to share the "2014 Year In Review" promotional video from a company that employed me for several years.

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Mary J. Blige's The London Sessions isn't quite as good as I'd been lead to believe.  RIYL: Keyshia Cole, pain, Charlie Wilson.

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I'm horrified to confess that I find Room, the new collaboration between Julian Lage and Nels Cline, entirely unlistenable.

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I sold my rarest Sun Ra vinyl years ago at $100 a pop.  Even so, I'm inclined to buy vinyl copies of Marshall Allen Presents: Sun Ra and His Arkestra- In the Orbit of Ra to give to my fashion-conscious friends this holiday season.  The new collection is an excellent introduction to Sun Ra.

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Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone of the Zombies are charming in their "What's In My Bag" segment.

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"Yeezus Film" hints at the brilliance of Kanye West's 2013 tour.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Paolo Nutini at Knuckleheads

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

I jumped at the chance to catch a free show by the male version of Adele at one of my favorite venues on Saturday. 

Realizing that the room housing the primary indoor stage would reach capacity quickly, I showed up at Knuckleheads 75 minutes early.  As Paolo Nutini and his band conducted a sound check, I waited in line outside with a couple hundred shivering people.  I was the only member of the queue without a canned food donation.  The event was apparently promoted by 90.9 The Bridge as a charitable benefit, but I rarely listen to the station.

After buying a PBR man-can for $3.50, I secured a seat at the back of the room and immediately sensed trouble.  Everyone around me was in the celebratory mood associated with holiday weekends.  No one was talking about Nutini.

Sure enough, half of the people in attendance didn't even acknowledge Nutini and his band when the 55-minute show began.  After 15 minutes of not being able to make out individual songs, I fought my way to the front.  A generous friend found room for me at a prime table 20 feet from the stage.  I still couldn't hear. 

I sensed that  Nutini's sound crew created a lush mix that would have been ideal if no one was talking.  Yet chatter overwhelmed the music.  Two bros squeezed next to me were talking about "locking down" women, whatever that means.

While I couldn't make out individual instrumentation, Nutini's voice occasionally rose above the din.  His recordings don't lie.  Nutini is a superb singer who has staked out a prime territory between Otis Redding and Maxwell.

At least, that's what I think I heard.


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I reviewed Slipknot's return to the Sprint Center.

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I list the Top Jazz Albums of 2014 at Plastic Sax.

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Ensemble Ibérica is releasing a new album next week.

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Teddy Dibble conducts a show-and-tell with the face-themed album art in his vinyl collection.

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Ottomans, the new album by Hidden Pictures, was released today.   RIYL: Crowded House, smart pop, OK Jones.

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Bobby Keys has died.  I have a vague recollection of once seeing him perform as a member of Johnny Copeland's band.  Is that possible?

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"Elvis Presley Blvd" is the best song on Rick Ross' entertaining Hood Billionaire.

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I finally got around to listening to Eric Church's The Outsiders.  Like the little girl with the curl, when it's good, it's very, very good, but when it's bad, it's horrid.

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How did I overlook Broken Ankles, the 2014 collaboration between Freeway and Girl Talk?  "Lived It" is excellent.

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The Art of Conversation, the highly praised duet album by Kenny Barron and Dave Holland, is exquisite.  RIYL: tony clubs, New York City, elegance.

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I'm not feeling De La Soul's new song "The People".

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Syleena Johnson's Chapter 6: Couples Therapy is RIYL: Lalah Hathaway, heartache, Jill Scott.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

I'm Not the Player of the Year

Although a poster of Bootsy Collins has watched over me for years, I haven't seen a performance by the funk giant in eons.  A few hours before I intended to drive to Collins' concert on Saturday, I peeked at Ticketmaster to confirm the schedule.  Only then did I notice that the casino event was a seated show.  Left with a choice of spending $75 to be tethered to a chair or spending $50 to stand in the back recess of the room, I opted to save my money.  I'm still pouting.  Here's Joel Francis' review.


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I reviewed a Burt Bacharach concert.

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I contributed a Local Listen feature on Kasey Rausch to KCUR.

---
Here's the video for Ces Cru's "Double OT".

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Jimmy Ruffin has died.

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The Oliver Lake Organ Quartet's What I Heard is excellent.  RIYL: Charles Gayle, genius, John Patton.

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Beyoncé wins. Again.

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The Last Southern Gentlemen, a new recording led by Delfeayo Marsalis is lovely.  RIYL: Al Grey, sophisticated swing, Vic Dickenson.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Keyshia Cole- Point of No Return

I like it when Keyshia Cole gets angry.  She's furious on Point of No Return, a dark song cycle in the tradition of Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear.  I admire the album so much that I've even talked myself into liking features by three of 2014's most annoying rappers.  Future's profane rap on the despairing "Love Letter" provides context.  Cole punks an unwitting 2 Chainz on "N.L.U.".  Juicy J helps Cole pull of the ridiculous "Rick James".  I won't argue if There Stands the Glass readers suggest that Point of No Return is a second-rate imitation of Beyoncé's self-titled 2013 release.  It's still my jam.


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I reviewed a concert by Black Veil Brides, Falling in Reverse, Set It Off and Drama Club.

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I reviewed a concert by Hunter Hayes.

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I contributed a Local Listen segment on Gene Clark to KCUR.

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The Architects are "Out of the Woods".

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Molly McGuire has released a new album.

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Kyle James made a video for "This Is Love".

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A recent performance of "Heliophonie," a new composition by Dwight Frizzell & Thomas Aber, was documented for posterity.

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Big Bank Hank of the Sugarhill Gang has died.

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I'm mildly disappointed by Dave Hollister's Chicago Winds… The Saga Continues.  RIYL: R. Kelly, grown-and-sexy music, Johnny Gill.  Here's "Spend the Night".

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Jeff Coffin & the Mu'tet's Side Up is RIYL: Lenny Pickett, jazz with humor, Steve Turre.

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St. Vincent gets Sound Advice.

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Frank Catalano's Love Supreme Collective is RIYL: John Coltrane, the right kind of tribute album, Pharaoh Sanders.

(Original image of D.I.A. by There Stands the Glass.)

Darn That Dream

I wandered into a packed coffeehouse in the shadow of Oregon's capitol building last Thursday.  For a few intoxicating minutes, I thought I'd stumbled across a vibrant jazz scene.   A student big band from a nearby university had just played and I was convinced that the jovial crowd was primed to hear a professional band play a headlining set.

The low turnout in Kansas City for the one of the most celebrated artists in jazz was still fresh in my mind.  Although he's pictured on the cover of the current issue of Downbeat, was featured in a 6-minute segment on NPR the previous day and was spotlighted in The Star's jazz column, Miguel Zenón attracted just a few dozen people to the Blue Room last Monday.  (Here are my notes.)

Yet Salem turned out in equal numbers for a superb regional ensemble.  Alas, half the audience fled after 15 minutes of this.  Ten people remained after 30 minutes.  The deliberate evacuation was one of the most discouraging refutations of jazz I've witnessed.


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I featured Sara Swenson on KCUR's Local Listen segment.

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Making Movies appear in a Tiny Desk Concert.

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Manitas de Plata has died.

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Call me a Maggot.  Slipknot's Slipknot- .5: The Gray Chapter rings true to me.  RIYL: rage, Slayer, frustration.

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Cat Stevens is the comeback artist of the year.

(Original image of the Salem jazz debacle by There Stands the Glass.)

It's the Talk of the Town

My traveling companions nixed my plan to catch Bob Dylan's concert in Denver on Saturday night.  One associate had seen him three times.  That was plenty for her.  Another had attended a Dylan performance as a child but was aware of his dubious reputation as an entertainer.  A glutton for punishment, I can't get enough of Bobby. 

As Dylan played elsewhere, I found myself at a David Sedaris reading at Macky Auditorium on the campus of the University of Colorado.  I was astounded that over 2,000 people paid $40 and $50 to hear an author read.  I laughed a lot during the show, but never as heartily as when fans triumphantly raised their arms in the air when the presentation began. 

The reading was a revelation for this music-centric scribe.  I finally located the missing audience for the likes of the Kronos Quartet, Ambrose Akinmusire and Mary Gauthier.


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I contributed a Local Listen segment about White Girls to KCUR's Up to Date.

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Mr. Acker Bilk has died.

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Wayne Static of Static X has died.

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Here's T-Pain's viral Tiny Desk Concert.

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Run the Jewels 2 is about as imaginative as its title.  I expect more from two of the smartest men in hip-hop.  RIYL: 2 Live Crew, songs about genitals, UGK.

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I can deal with the passing sirens on "Improvisation No. 3," but I wish Branford Marsalis' otherwise sublime solo recording In My Solitude: Live at Grace Cathedral didn't include vibe-killing bursts of applause.  RIYL: echo, John Coltrane, reverb.

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The Stanley Clarke Band's new album leans towards the cheesiest versions of Return to Forever and Weather Report.

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Here's a video trailer for a new set of Trip Shakespeare reissues.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Kverlertak, Gojira and Mastodon at the Uptown Theater

As he took my $30 last Wednesday, the man in the box office of the Uptown Theater raved about the brilliance of Mastodon.  I confessed that while I admire the band, I was really laying down my money for the opening acts. 

I'd already attended three or four Mastodon concerts but I had yet to witness Kvelertak perform "Bruane Brenn" and I hadn't seen Gojira since the French band opened for Lamb of God in the same venue in 2007. 

Kvelertak didn't disappoint in an opening set marked by revolting showers of spit and sweat.  Gojira's slow songs caused me to wonder if it's the world's best post-metal band.  For its part, Mastodon dialed the visuals way back from the gaudy spectacles displayed on previous tours. 


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I reviewed Judas Priest's concert at the Midland theater.

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I reviewed Lecrae's concert at Independence Events Center.

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Here's my Local Listen feature on the Architects for KCUR's Up To Date.

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Kansas City musician Horace Washington has died.

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Jack Bruce has died.

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Budos Band's metal-tinged Burnt Offering is RIYL: Booker T & the MGs, epic instrumental jams, the Meters.  Here's the title track.

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The title of the stellar new Francis Bebey compilation Psychedelic Sanza: 1982-1984 is misleading.  RIYL: God, Mickey Hart, life. (Tip via Big Steve.)

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The Thought of You, Otis Brown III's debut album as a leader, is RIYL: Joe Lovano's Us 5, the idea of jazz as a living music, Gretchen Parlato.

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Walt Weiskopf's Overdrive is RIYL: Michael Brecker, classic Blue Note, Kenny Garrett.

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Hey, there's a new documentary about the Mekons!  (Tip via Rick H.)

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John Cale recalls Lou Reed on "If You Were Still Around".

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Review: The Owen/Cox Dance Company's "A Body of Work"

As the rest of an audience of about 100 watched five athletic dancers at La Esquina on Sunday, October 5, I studied Brad Cox as he manipulated sound at the back of the room.  I have nothing against ballet, but Cox's stunning score for The Owen/Cox Dance Group's production "A Body of Work" demanded my full attention.  Using a combination of prerecorded backing tracks, ambient beats derived from the dancers' movements, a drum machine and the live vocals of Victoria Botero, Cox crafted a compelling soundscape.  Additional percussion emanating from four hanging columns and a quadrophonic mix made the experience even more dizzying.  Cox's exceptional performance was a civilized version of the futuristic work of groundbreaking acts like Marijuana Deathsquads.


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I reviewed Tuesday's concert by Gaslight Anthem, Against Me! and Cory Branan.

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The Kronos Quartet's performance at Helzberg Hall floored me on Saturday. 

---
Ikey Owens of Mars Volta has died.  Owens recently produced Various Blonde's Summer High album.

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John Holt of the Paragons has died.

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Here's a video tour of the Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven.

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Local Customs: Cavern Sound, a compilation of forgotten bands from Independence, will be released this week.  The only name that rings a bell is Morningstar, a band I hadn't thought about in at least 25 years.

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Iceage's Plowing Into the Field of Love is shockingly raw.  RIYL: The Fall, drunken stupors, the Birthday Party.  Here's "How Many".

---
The video for Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's "Quail and Dumplings" is almost as good as the song.

---
It's not fair to Vince Staples, but almost all I could think about as I listened to Hell Can Wait was how much I still love Earl Sweatshirt's Doris.  RIYL: OFWGKTA, Los Angeles, the Cool Kids.

---
On Worker, the latest studio album by Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, the Oklahoma band veers into electronic territory.  RIYL: Soulive, acting on impulses, Galactic.

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SZA's fine new album Z is RIYL: Sade, slow motion, Frank Ocean.  "Babylon" is the best track.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Lalah Hathaway at KC Live

I've witnessed performances by Tony Bennett, Deborah Brown, Joyce DiDonato and Bettye LaVette this year.  Lalah Hathaway out-sang all of them at the KC Live stage in the Power & Light District on Sunday.  About 5,000 people attended the free concert.

From the vocal trickery of the Grammy-winning "Something" to the emotional histrionics of the big hit "Forever, For Always,  For Love", Hathaway's repertoire allowed her to demonstrate that she's among the best vocalists in popular music. 

Poor Ruben Studdard didn't stand a chance against Donny's daughter.  He and Hathaway shared a band.  The concert was successful in part because the needless ambient noise I complained about in my review of Eric Benét's recent concert in the same space was blessedly silenced on Sunday. 


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

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Paul Revere has died.

---
Flying Lotus's stunning new album You're Dead! is equal parts hip-hop, jazz and electronic music.

---
Jason Moran's All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller RIYL: Meshell Ndegeocello, high concept, Joni Mitchell.  Here's a recast rendition of "Ain't Misbehavin'.

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It was nice to see the longtime There Stands the Glass favorite Lazerbeak support Lizzo on the Late Show with David Letterman.  (My notes on Lizzo's 2014 appearance at the RecordBar are here.)

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Mark Kozelek has jokes.

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Bill Frisell's new surf-oriented Guitar in the Space Age is RIYL: The Ventures, baby boomers, Steely Dan.

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The self-titled album by Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn is wondrous.  RIYL: banjer, Raymond Fairchild, no frills.

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My selections among the recently nominated candidates for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in order: Chic, N.W.A., Lou Reed, Kraftwerk and War.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Lou Whitney

Chuck Berry still maintained a heavy tour schedule when I became old enough to sneak into nightclubs.  What a disappointment!  The first two times I caught him, the legend was clearly going through the motions. 

Ever the glutton for punishment, I once found myself at Parody Hall to give the man another go.  Berry's demeanor shifted from contempt to delight upon recognizing the expertise of the pickup band.  That outing remains the only time I've seen Berry give a damn.  Lou Whitney and his cohorts in the Skeletons/Morells were the men responsible for inspiring Berry.

I spent several nights dancing to Whitney's bands during the next few years.  On the two or three occasions I spoke with him, he was funny and gracious.  Whitney died this week.  C.J. Janovy wrote a nice piece about the beloved Missourian. 

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Sturgill Simpson- Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

I'm skeptical when people who wouldn't know Ray Price from Luke Bryan rave about a country artist.  Having been raised on albums by Waylon, Willie and Kris, I take it personally when jokers subvert those sounds to amuse people who look down on the form.  That's why I avoided Sturgill Simpson's fashionable Metamodern Sounds in Country Music for months.  I'm finally willing to admit that it's really good.  With lyrics that could have been written by Jimmie Dale Gilmore and production modeled on Honky Tonk Heroes, the album sends me back to my smoke-filled childhood home.


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I reviewed the Zombie Pub Crawl.

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I participated in a discussion about Kansas City's jazz scene on KCUR's Central Standard last week.

---
D/Will and Stik Figa made a video for "Work".

---
Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar are at their best on "Never Catch Me".

---
Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood is my favorite jam band.  Juice is RIYL: Garage a Trois, outdoor festivals, Umphrey's McGee.

---
It really goes without saying, but Prince's messy new Art Official Age contains about 20 minutes of brilliance.  RIYL: Controversy, freaks, Sign o' the Times.

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Yelawolf's "Till It's Gone" is one of my favorite songs of 2014.  RIYL: Lindsey Buckingham, classic rock, Tech N9ne.

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Roni Size is back.  His new album Take Kontrol is RIYL: 1997, video game soundtracks, Orbital.

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Jazz can be a chore.  It took four sessions for me to work my way through Joris Roelof's Aliens Deliberating.  RIYL: Eric Dolphy, nails on chalkboards, Ned Rothenberg.

---
Everclear's spoof of U2's partnership with Apple is perfect.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Eric Benét at KC Live

I couldn't have imagined the sexually-charged mayhem I was about to experience when I entered Kemper Arena to see Marvin Gaye in 1983.  I've since been part of dozens of similarly fevered audiences.  It never gets old.  Sunday's free Eric Benét concert on the KC Live stage in the Power & Light District was one of the best of the type I've attended.  As Halle Berry's ex-husband crooned ballads like the sensitive "Sometimes I Cry" and the sultry "Chocolate Legs", many in the audience of 9,000 screamed deliriously.  While earsplitting, their shouts and the fine work of Benét's five-piece band competed with the canned music that blared from many of the adjacent taverns and restaurants, an inexcusable insult that's plagued concerts in the district since 2008.


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I reviewed the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's concert at the VooDoo Lounge.

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In the previous There Stands the Glass post I lamented the lack of truly great new music.  The Architects may have rescued me.  At first listen, Border Wars (Episode II) sounds magnificent.  RIYL: The Clash, rock and roll lifers, Sham 69.

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Here's Ces Cru's amusing video for "Jimmy Stewart".

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Lou Whitney, one of the greatest living Missourians, is ailing.  Here's 75 minutes of prime Morells.  (Via D.W.)

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The video for Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood's "Juicy Lucy" is solid.

(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

The Kendrick Conundrum

Where in tarnation is my album of the year?  I've found plenty to like but little to love among the hundreds of albums I've heard in 2014.  (Perhaps my lack of focus plays a role in this conundrum.)  I prefer the top seven titles in my year-end 2013 list in the column to the right to anything I've encountered during the past nine months.  Where's the stuff that turns my world upside down?  Kendrick Lamar's disappointing new song "i" sent me into panic mode.  C'mon Kanye.

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I reviewed concerts by Spoon and Living Colour.

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Here's the video for Josh Berwanger's "Enemies".

---
Kenny Wheeler has died.

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George Hamilton IV, a staple of the Opry, has died.

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Highway Robbery, the new album by Freeway and the Jacka, is RIYL: J. Stalin, thug life, Messy Marv. The Real Rick Ross and Freddie Gibbs are in the video for "Cherry Pie".

---
Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes and the late Mike Auldridge sound great on The Three Bells.  RIY:: dobro, Gene Wooten, pickin' and grinnin'. 

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Goat's formula- equal parts the Doors, the Velvet Underground, Tinariwen and Toumani Diabaté- is irresistible on Commune.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Brother Ali at the Granada

I went to a hip-hop concert and an Occupy Wall Street rally broke out.  Lacking a backpack filled with spray paint and Howard Zinn tracts, I felt a bit more out of place than usual at the Granada on Sunday.

Backed only by DJ Last Word, Brother Ali, Bambu and Mally performed over two hours of old-school hip-hop for the 100 or so people who had ponied up $15 to gain entry.

Ali explained that he embarked on a tour without a new album or promotional support in an effort to reconnect with his real fans.  He added that he selected his tour mates partly because they were good fathers to their children.  The Minneapolis rapper is so painfully sincere that I had to take him at his word.  Coming from most anyone else, the assertions would have seemed like weak rationalizations for the pitiful turnout.

Long one of my favorite MCs, Ali performed most of his best known material, from the scathing political attack "Uncle Sam Goddamn" ("Obama is killing people with drones") to the self-esteem anthem "Forest Whitiker" ("you ain't gotta love me").  A rap about raising children in the aftermath of the Mike Brown incident was the clear highlight of the evening.

The contradictory messages espoused by Los Angeles' Bambu irritated me so much that I considered giving him a piece of my mind after the show.  Minneapolis' Mally was likable enough.  The trio issued an informal performance of "Home Away" earlier this week.


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I reviewed a concert by the Flaming Lips and Electric Würms.

---
The video for Kansas City Bear Fighters '"You're In Kansas" is clever.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

---
Here's the video for Farout's "Bittersweet".

---
Marc Myers' remembrance of Joe Sample is invaluable.

---
Howard Reich reports on Steve Coleman's genius grant.

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Polar Bear is better on paper than on headphones.  In Each and Every One is RIYL: Radiohead, jazz for people who don't like jazz, the Pat Metheny Group.  Here's "Life and Life".

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Cold Specks' Neuroplasticity is another album I'm supposed to like.  I loathe it.  RIYL: Patti Smith, "Art", Neneh Cherry.  Here's "Absisto".

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Steve Arrington continues to funk everything up.

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From the Why Didn't Any of You Jerks Tell Me About This Department- GoGo Penguin's excellent v2.0 is RIYL: Esbjörn Svensson Trio, European jazz, the Bad Plus.  "Hopopono" is a representative track.

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The Mark Turner Quartet's Lathe of Heaven looks promising.

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Donnie McClurkin's Duets is RIYL: Sunday mornings, the Winans, clapping.

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Bahamas' Bahamas is Afie is RIYL: Jimmie Spheeris, lite rock, Dan Fogelberg.

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Death Metal Angola.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Joyce DiDonato with the Kansas City Symphony at Helzberg Hall

I didn't realize that my fandom of Joyce DiDonato had become unhealthy until I spent the first couple minutes of her appearance Saturday at Helzberg Hall hating on her new hairstyle.  Then she started singing.

I hung on every note of Ravel's sublime "Shéhérazade."  DiDinato's rendition of Strauss' century-old art-pop song "Morgen" was sweet.  Even a horrendously cloying arrangement of her encore of "Danny Boy" didn't spoil the fun.

Much to my surprise, almost no one in the audience of about 1,500 left after intermission.  I'm not much on Tchaikovsky, so I just closed my eyes during the second half of the concert and passively let the sound of his Symphony No. 5 wash over me.  The fact that the pretty stranger sitting next to me smelled amazing enhanced the dreamlike experience.

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


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I featured Various Blonde on KCUR's Local Listen segment last week.

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Joe Sample has died.  Here are my notes on his 2013 concert in Kansas City.

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Cosimo Matassa has died.  (Via BGO.)

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Peter Gutteridge of the Chills has died.  (Via Robert Moore.)

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Thanks in large part to Joe Boyd's production, Robyn Hitchcock's new album The Man Upstairs is my official September soundtrack.  Hitchcock's original material is fine and the covers of the Psychedelic Furs' "The Ghost In You" and the Doors' "The Crystal Ship" altered my perception of the songs.  RIYL: Nick Drake, wistfulness, Roy Harper.

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I know a few people who may lose their minds over Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro.  The impressive project overseen by Billy Childs isn't for me.  For the record, the track with Rickie Lee Jones and Chris Potter wins. 

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Jhené Aiko's Souled Out is a state of the art R&B album.  RIYL: Sade, the sound of 2014, Aaliyah.  Here's "The Pressure".

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Sergio Mendes is still cheesy after all these years.  Yet his new album Magic is significant because of the amazing lineup of guest vocalists ranging from Janelle Monáe to Milton Nascimento.

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J. Mascis' Tied to a Star sounds like a tribute to Bert Jansch.

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Roberta Invernizzi's Ferrandini: Al Santo Sepolcro is RIYL: Italian cathedrals, Joyce DiDonato, the 18th century.

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Justin Townes Earle acquits himself nicely on Single Mothers.  RIYL: Slaid Cleaves, depression, Mark Olson.

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Dark Comedy by Open Mike Eagle is my favorite nerdcore album of 2014.  RIYL: Das Racist, crossword puzzles, MC Lars.

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Much of the metal community is appalled by the ascent of King 810.  I like 'em.  Memoirs of a Murderer is RIYL: Slipknot, violence, Five Finger Death Punch.  Here's "War Outside".

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The performance by pianists Alice Sara Ott and Francesco Tristano on Scandale is exciting.  The bile elicited by a promotional video is also very entertaining.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Various Blonde- Summer High

The disbanding of the Mars Volta and the Deftones' inability to sustain the momentum generated by the wondrous 2010 album Diamond Eyes have left me jonesing for a new dealer of art-metal.  I've searched the world for a adequate replacement but the solution has been right under my nose all along.  Even though a couple of the dudes in the Kansas City band are my Facebook friends and I regularly reference the group in my work as a freelance writer, I had no idea Various Blonde was capable of creating a work as powerful as Summer High.  With the assistance of producer Ikey Owens of the Mars Volta, Various Blonde has devised a potent dose of foreboding psychedelia.


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I reviewed Cake's performance at Crossroads KC.

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The Project H was the subject of my most recent feature on the Local Listen segment of KCUR's Up to Date program.

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Gerald Wilson has died.  (Via BGO.)

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My acquaintance Teddy Dibble discusses rare vinyl by the likes of the Bill Dixon Orchestra and Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

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I'm infatuated with Joyce DiDonato's Stella di Napoli.  RIYL: Italy, Renée Fleming, beauty.

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Dom Flemons' Prospect Hill opens with a bang before petering out.  RIYL: Leon Redbone, sepia, the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

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Sims' Field Notes contains two or three strong tracks.  RIYL: Atmosphere, the Twin Cities, P.O.S.

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Il Sogno del Marinaio's Canto Secondo isn't as interesting as the project's first album.  RIYL: Mike Watt, SST Records' jazz/punk releases, the Minutemen.

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Belphegor's Conjuring the Dead is RIYL: exorcisms, Morbid Angel, haunted houses.  I assume the video for the title track is intentionally hilarious.

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Just a reminder- I continue to write about Kansas City's jazz scene at Plastic Sax.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: The Ben Miller Band- Any Way, Shape or Form

I was surprised to learn that the Ben Miller Band was opening several concerts for ZZ Top.  How, I wondered, did the ruffians from Joplin land those enviable gigs?  Then I listened to the new album Any Way, Shape or Form.  The ensemble is no longer merely a poor man's version of Split Lip Rayfield.  Rugged new songs like "The Outsider" are capable of thrilling impatient fans of ZZ Top, Americana obsessives and jaded music bloggers.

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My notes on the opening night of the Kansas City Irish Fest are here.

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I contributed a Local Listen segment about Carswell & Hope to KCUR's Up to Date.

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Here's Ces Cru's video for "Give It To Me".

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A week after I named "Pieces of Me" as the #6 track of the decade, NPR posted Ledisi's excellent live performance of the hit.

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My observations about a 2011 Opeth show in Kansas City indicate that the band's transition from a metal band to a prog ensemble was underway three years ago.  The ridiculously overblown new album Pale Communion resembles Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull and Kansas.  (And yes, I like it.)

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Pallbearer's Foundations of Burden is mighty.  RIYL: rolling thunder, High on Fire, haunted houses.

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The audio portion of Dio's recently released Live in London: Hammersmith Apollo 1993 makes me smile.  Here's corresponding concert footage.

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Somi's The Lagos Music Salon may be "important," but I just can't get into it.  RIYL: Esperanza Spalding, Art with a capital A, Abbey Lincoln.

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I may be the only person who's excited about the impending deluge of resentful recordings by graying rappers.  Cormega's Mega Philosophy is RIYL: bitterness, Nas, sour grapes.  I'm all about it.

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Spoon's They Want My Soul is first-rate.  RIYL: The Cars, craftsmanship, The  New Pornographers.

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DJ Mustard's 10 Summers is RIYL: YG, radio playlists, Jeezy.  Here's "Down On Me".

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I'd be lying if I suggested that I'd rather hear Steven Drozd and Wayne Coyne talk about Miles Davis than listen to the Electric Würms’ Musik, Die Schwer Zu Twerk, but it's a close call.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: D/Will- Reset

I had the pleasure of attending a small listening party for D/Will's Reset album last month.  I'd delayed reviewing the masterful recording partly because its unconventional nature makes it difficult to analyze.

Only after enduring a new release that's likely to be my least favorite Kansas City album of 2014 did I begin to fully appreciate the subtle brilliance of Reset.

Rather than being obsessed by the shallow topics of marijuana and rap status that consume many of his contemporaries, D/Will engages in a profound examination of spirituality.  Kanye West may be the only hip-hop artist to address the topic of salvation with as much finesse as D/Will.  Yet characterizing Reset as a Christian album wouldn't be accurate.

Reset is a bold reckoning of what it means to reside in America.

D/Will isn't a great rapper but he's an excellent producer.  The surprising array of sounds on Reset enhances the project's cultivated message.  "Meeting With God" relects the album's intent.


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Here's my review of T-Pain's woefully under-attended concert at Crossroads KC.

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I reviewed Nickel Creek's concert at the Uptown Theater.

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I contributed a Local Listen segment about the Phantastics to KCUR's Up To Date.

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Radkey was featured in USA Today.

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Mac Lethal has, as they say, found his lane.  Here's his new Mozart rap.

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John Blake has died.  I bought the violinist's album Twinkling of an Eye as a new release in 1985. 

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Jean Redpath has died.  (Via BGO.)

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The band name and album title of the National Jazz Trio of Scotland's Standards, Vol. III are amusingly misleading.  Bill Wells' project is RIYL: Belle and Sebastian, nuance, Robert Wyatt.  "Surprising Word" isn't the best track on the album, but the video is solid.

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The Messenger's Illusory Blues is RIYL: Kansas, 1975, Renaissance.  Here's the video for “Somniloquist”.

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Action Bronson is hilarious.

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I'm not convinced that Benjamin Booker is all that.  The self-titled album of the current media darling is RIYL: Kings of Leon, NPR, the Black Keys.

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Rittz owns it.

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Bless their metallic hearts.  The current lineup of the stalwart thrash band Overkill sounds better than ever on White Devil Armory, the New Jersey band's seventeenth studio album.  Here's the video for "Armorist".

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The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra's OverTime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer is worthwhile.

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My latest obsession: the music of the Lebanese singer Fairuz.

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"I don't know how you can sit there and listen to that mess."  That's what a member of my compound told me as I was ingesting Wiring, a new all-star jazz collaboration.  RIYL: Vijay Iyer, annoying others, Reggie Workman.

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I spent the remainder of the day cowering under my desk in a fetal position after I watched the videos for Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" and Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" back-to-back last week.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Top 25 Tracks of the Decade (So Far)

Pitchfork's polemical The 200 Best Tracks of the Decade (so far) post inspired me to compile my own list.  Although I don't necessarily share Pitchfork's sensibility, my smaller list includes eight of the same selections.  Where's the jazz?  Where's the metal?  Well, when I think about individual songs, I think about R&B and hip-hop.  All 25 of these songs released during the past 55 months thrill me.  Here's the Spotify playlist.

The Top 25 Tracks of the Decade (So Far)
1. Pusha T with Kendrick Lamar- "Nosetalgia"
2. Kendrick Lamar- "B****, Don't Kill My Vibe"
3. Lorde- "Royals"
4. Janelle Monae with Erykah Badu- "Q.U.E.E.N."
5. Jay-Z and Kanye West- "N***** In Paris"

6. Ledisi- "Pieces of Me"
7. Kanye West- "All of the Lights"
8. Tyler, the Creator- "Yonkers"
9. Earl Sweatshirt- "Chum"
10. Tech N9ne- "Worldwide Choppers"

11. Frank Ocean- "Thinkin' 'Bout You"
12. Jill Scott with Anthony Hamilton- "So In Love"
13. Josh Thompson- "Way Out Here"
14. Kanye West- "New Slaves"
15. John Legend- "All of Me"

16. Chrisette Michele- "A Couple of Forevers"
17. Miranda Lambert- "Baggage Claim"
18. Sleigh Bells- "Rill Rill"
19. Skating Polly- "So In Love"
20. Lil Debbie with Riff Raff- "Michelle Obama"

21. Nas and Damian Marley- "As We Enter"
22. Danny Brown- "Fields"
23. E-40- "Function"
24. LCD Soundsystem- "Drunk Girls"
25. Michael Jackson- "Love Never Felt So Good"

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Cretin Hop

Punk may have won several battles during the past few decades, but it's clearly lost the war against mainstream rock. 

I visited a friend who runs the vinyl department at 7th Heaven on my way to Starlight Theatre for last night's concert by Boston and Kansas.  He told me that young vinyl enthusiasts are purchasing scads of Boston records. 

Sure enough, I spotted several groups of teens among the audience that almost filled the venue. 

Boston and The Ramones were both released in 1976.  Thirty-eight years later, Tom Scholz faithfully recreates "Peace of Mind" for thousands of admirers while every original member of the Ramones is dead.  A new album by the post-Boston metal band Godsmack topped Billboard's album charts this week. 

Punk's defeat doesn't bother me much.  While I prefer "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" to "Peace of Mind," I've always liked "More Than a Feeling" more than "Smells Like Teen Spirit."


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I reviewed a concert by Chrisette Michele and Raheem DeVaughn.

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I reviewed Joan Sebastian's first and final appearance in Kansas.

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Ziggy Marley performed at Crossroads KC this week.  Here's my review.

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Here's my review of Boston and Kansas.

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I contributed Local Listen segments to KCUR's "Up To Date" featuring The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Nuthatch-47.

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Dwight Frizzell's "Slippages" is very nice.

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Kasai Allstars' Beware the Fetish may be my favorite groove-based album of the year.

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Falty DL's In the Wild is as fresh as everyone says.  RIYL: Pole, vertigo, Flying Lotus.

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A lot of people enjoy making fun of Godsmack.  I'm not among them. The new album 1000hp is RIYL: Disturbed, life outside an ivory tower, Shinedown.  Here's the title track.

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Baxter Dury looks and sounds uncannily like his pop in the video for "Pleasure".

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Captain Black Big Band's Mother's Touch is RIYL: Orrin Evans, relevant swing, Charles Mingus.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Ces Cru- Codename: Ego Stripper

My knock on Ces Cru has always centered on the content of the Kansas City duo's lyrics.  Godemis and Ubiquitous possess great flows, superior intelligence and wondrous energy, but I'm not terribly interested in songs about inebriation, conspiracy theories or their standing in the rap game.  Yet everything comes together on Codename: Ego Stripper.  I still prefer the beats on Ces Cru's self-released stuff, but there's no denying the additional power provided by the typically slick Strange Music production.  Besides, "Pressure" references my late friend Anne Winter.  I don't know where Codename: Ego Stripper will debut on Billboard's charts this week, but the project is clearly one of the best Kansas City albums of 2014.


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Teen pop sensation Gracie Schram made a video for "Yellow Shoes".

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The video for Shy Boys' "Life Is Peachy" is amusing.

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Dutch Newman's "Go Chicken Go" isn't about the Kansas City restaurant.

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Electric Needle Room have released a split EP with the Pennsylvania band the Worsh Ahts.

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I can't get the late Jimmy Scott out of my mind as I listen to Cold World, the new album by Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens.  RIYL: The Soul Stirrers, God, Albertina Walker.  Here's a video for "Sinner".

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Miriam of Norton Records has released an album of her own.  "My Love Has Gone" is the first single.

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Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio is an uncompromising jazz recording led by the winner of the 2013 Thelonious Monk competition.  RIYL: Matt Otto, freedom, Sonny Rollins.

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Lawrence English's noise on Wilderness of Mirrors is right up my alley.  Here's "Hapless Gatherer".  RIYL: the hum of machinery, Harold Budd, ringing ears.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Morris Day and the Time at the Heart of America Hot Dog Festival

It's always a relief when oldies concerts don't make me feel embarrassed for the artists and ashamed of myself for revisiting the past.  An appearance by Morris Day and the Time at the Heart of America Hot Dog Festival on Saturday could have been a disaster.  I ponied up $15 in spite of the dubious circumstances.  The delightful 90-minute show on the back lawn of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum exceeded my expectations.  The expert band powered by original drummer Jellybean Johnson and fronted by the wildly entertaining Morris Day faithfully recreated old favorites including "Ice Cream Castles," "777-9311," "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" and "Jungle Love."  The smiles of the fans participating in a dance contest reflect my appreciation.


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Here's my review of Mötley Crüe's final concert in Kansas City.

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Drummer Idris Muhammad has died.

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The brouhaha over The New Yorker's Sonny Rollins satire is ridiculous.  Is jazz isn't so fragile that it can't withstand a joke?  Here's the great man's reaction.

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Chuck D and Mavis Staples collaborate on "Give We the Pride."

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Is Clipping's CLPPNG a parody?  I can't tell.  Sounds great, though.  RIYL: Earl Sweatshirt, confusion, Death Grips.

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Friends & Lovers, the latest release from Marsha Ambrosius, is quite nice.  RIYL: Alicia Keys, freaks, Keyshia Cole.

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I'm fascinated by the bombastic sound of Hiromi's Alive.  RIYL: Brand X, rock production, Eldar Djangarov.

(Original images by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Phil Neal & the Wornalls- Lifeline

I'm accustomed to embarrassing myself on the radio.  My latest faux pas occurred while I was talking up the latest album by Phil Neal & the Wornalls.  I suggested that I'd just as soon catch the Kansas City band at the RecordBar as make an investment in a ticket for Tom Petty & the Heartbreaker's concert at Sprint Center.  A colleague quickly pointed out that Petty's concert had been canceled.  Even so, I stand by my sentiment.  The Wornalls may not be as accomplished as the Heartbreakers and Neal's vocal range is even more limited than Petty's.  Yet the songs on the new album Lifeline are raw, honest and entirely relevant to my life.


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I spent over eight happy hours at Warped Tour on Thursday.  Here's my review.

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Last week's Local Listen segment for KCUR's Up To Date featured Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats.  This week's feature focused on the People's Liberation Big Band. 

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Bent Edge Punk documents Kansas City's early punk and new wave scene.  (Via Tony's Kansas City.)

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Impossibly strange fact: fans attending a Kansas City Kings game in 1978 were given free copies of Ian Matthews' Stealin' Home.  The album is being reissued by Omnivore Recordings.

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Is Nicholas Payton trolling on his new project Numbers?  The twelve pleasant grooves are almost interchangeable.  RIYL: soulful background music, Decoy, high concept.

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Ex-Cult's Midnight Passenger is very good.  RIYL: Iceage, thinking about the Sex Pistols, Stooges.

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Nothing's Guilty of Everything is RIYL: Deafheaven, brooding, My Bloody Valentine.

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Raheem DeVaughn's graphic King of Loveland 2 is RIYL: Prince, you already know, the Isley Brothers.

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".38 Airweight", the solid new single from Doomtree, is RIYL: Minneapolis, Aesop Rock, smart rappers.

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I intended to briefly audition Trampled By Turtles' Wild Animals.  Before I knew it, I'd enjoyed the entire album.  Twice.  RIYL: American Beauty, mornings, Fleet Foxes.

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It seems like several lifetimes ago that I loved Scruffy the Cat.  I spend a few hazy nights catching the band at the Lone Star and Parody Hall.  Here's the trailer for a new compilation of the band's roots rock. 

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)