Blow by Blow

I was transported back to my suburban youth as Jeff Beck played the 1975 jazz fusion classics “Freeway Jam” and “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” at Starlight Theatre last week.

On the cusp of the punk revolution, the garage bands in my subdivision near Kansas City International Airport were still in thrall of jazz fusion and progressive rock.  Selections from Beck’s Blow by Blow, Kansas’ Masque and Rush’s Fly By Night were studiously covered by the musically-inclined big brothers of my hoodrat friends.

In other words, I come by my abiding affection for unfashionable jams like “School Days” and ”You Know, You Know” honestly.


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I reviewed a concert by Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck.

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I talked about Steddy P on KCUR last week.

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I write weekly music previews for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine.

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I previewed Corinne Bailey Rae’s concert at the Uptown Theater for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine.

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I paid $35.50 to hear David Sanborn perform at Muriel Kauffman Theatre last week.  My thoughts on the show are posted at Plastic Sax.

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The Kansas City musician Dan Doran has died.

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Pete Fountain has died.

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Einojuhani Rautavaara has died.

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Charlie Hunter’s Everybody Has a Plan Until They Get Punched In the Mouth is insanely fun.   RIYL: Lester Bowie, parties, Medeski Martin & Wood.

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Sarah Borges’ “Tendency to Riot” is one of my favorite songs of 2016.  Her Good and Dirty EP was produced by Eric Ambel.  RIYL: The Bottle Rockets, alcohol, Tim Easton.

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I’m not ashamed to admit that I enjoy DJ Khaled’s summer blockbuster Major Key.  RIYL: radio, Jay-Z, Instagram selfies.

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The 1970s redux!  Nels Cline’s Lovers is a wondrous evocation of the adventurous side of CTI Records.  Admirers of third stream albums by Jim Hall and Paul Desmond are likely to adore Lovers. 

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)