Bury Me Deep: Andre Williams’ Morbid Checklist

Old friends are dropping like flies.  And even my hair ached when I crawled out of bed yesterday.  Maybe it’s time to begin making funeral arrangements.  Andre Williams’s “Bury Me Deep” indicates that the process needn’t be joyless.  Here’s the beginning of his outlandish checklist: “when I die, I want six female pallbearers, and I want a Jewish hearse driver, and I want a black preacher preaching for me, and I want a pink hearse- gotta be pink…”  The outlandish song is from Williams’ forthcoming Don’t Ever Give Up album.


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I reviewed concerts by Bonnie Raitt, Toni Braxton, Il Divo and Bob James for The Kansas City Star.

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I reviewed the Conquerors’ Wyld Time album for KCUR.

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My most recent weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine are published here and here.

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I recently discussed Various Blonde and Kansas on KCUR.

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Tonight’s Schoolboy Q concert is my Big Show of the week for The Kansas City Star and Ink magazine.

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I recently reviewed jazz concerts by Eddie Moore and the Outer Circle and the Hermon Mehari Quartet at Plastic Sax.

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Helado Negro found ways to transcend the quandry faced by laptop pop artists at RecordBar last night.  Rather than merely singing into a microphone after pushing the play button on his MacBook, he and his computer were flanked by two costumed dancers and were supplemented by a nifty light system.  The experimental artist is also a convincing guitarist.

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Phil Chess has died.

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I’m all about Joyce DiDonato’s latest video.

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Time/Life: Song for the Whales and Other Beings by Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra is a nice surprise.  The late bassist is heard on two of the five tracks.

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Jamie Lidell’s Building a Beginning is RIYL Hall & Oates, old-fashioned love songs, Bobby Caldwell.  Here’s ”I Live To Make You Smile”.

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The intentionally absurd album cover of D.R.A.M.’s Big Baby D.R.A.M. reflects its contents.  ”WiFi” features Erykah Badu.

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Metal na Madeira, a collaboration between vocalist Paula Santoro and guitarist Ian Faquini, is RIYL Gal Costa, cool water on a hot day, João Gilberto.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Troyka- Ornithophobia

My defenses were down when I happened upon Troyka last week.  The British trio combines the prog-rock wankery of King Crimson, the geeky jazz fusion of Billy Cobham and the fluid modern jazz of Flying Lotus.  I melted within minutes.  To quote an irritating meme: “shut up and take my money.”  The trailer for the new album Ornithophobia and the snippets streaming at Amazon reveal the source of my latest guilty pleasure. 


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I reviewed Chris Brown’s concert at the Sprint Center.

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Miguel's outing at the Midland theater last night is likely to be favorite concert of 2015. Here's my review.

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I contributed a Local Listen segment about Lonnie McFadden to KCUR.

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I laud Hmph and the Jorge Arana Trio at Plastic Sax.

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I’ve never seen the Colombian star Carlos Vives perform.  His new live album indicates that I’m really missing out.  Here’s an exciting version of the irresistible “Como Le Gusta a Tu Cuerpo”.

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Tokyo Adagio, a duet featuring Charlie Haden and Gonzalo Rubalcaba recorded in 2005, is predictably enchanting.

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The Internet’s Ego Death sounds incredible.  Too bad Syd tha Kid can’t write a decent song.  Or am I wrong?  Here’s ”Girl”.  RIYL: Frank Ocean, headphones, Teena Marie. 

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Pictures and Paintings, Charlie RIch’s last recorded statement, is one of my favorite albums.  Boz Scaggs’ A Fool to Care is a similarly sentimental work.  RIYL: James Booker, fond farewells, Curtis Mayfield.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Charlie Haden, 1937-2014

Charlie Haden played a crucial role in molding me into the listener I am today.  Here are just three examples of the many ways in which Haden expanded my appreciation and understanding of music.

As a nascent jazz fan in the pre-internet era, I became aware of the provocatively titled Liberation Music Orchestra.  When I finally got my hands on a copy of the 1969  album, I didn't know what to make of it.  It's not "jazz."  Haden helped me to realize that musical boundaries don't really exist. 

The 1991 album Haunted Heart caused me to reevaluate music I'd written off as pablum.  By incorporating old recordings of Jo Stafford and Jeri Southern into Quartet West's concept album, Haden convinced me to drop my bias against pre-rock pop vocalists.  My subsequent flirtation with music by the likes of Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney has yet to cease.

Finally, Haden's gorgeous collaborations with Pat Metheny reminded me of the immense power of austerity.  As a lover of noise and groove, I require quiet works like Beyond the Missouri Sky keep me centered.

Haden died last week.


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I reviewed a concert by Gavin DeGraw, Matt Nathanson and Mary Lambert.

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I featured Jorge Arana Trio's Oso at Plastic Sax.

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Here's my Local Listen segment on Ensemble Ibérica.

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The Mahoots' Girl From Topeka is probably my favorite project by my friend Steve Wilson since No Price On Earth, the classic 1982 album by the Thumbs.  RIYL: Alex Chilton, rock and roll hearts, Guided By Voices.

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Dom Chronicles' video for "Get Focused" was shot at the castle-like structure in the Jazz District.

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Stik Figa made a video for "The Book of Chad".

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Tommy Ramone has died.

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After a career filled with good albums, Jim Lauderdale finally made a great one.  I'm a Song is RIYL: Buck Owens, 1965, George Jones.

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Leela James' Fall For You is solid.  RIYL: Anthony Hamilton, adulthood, Mary J. Blige.

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Should Brian Wilson decide to take a naked romp on a Brazilian beach, Sébastien Tellier's L'Aventura would make an ideal soundtrack for the outing.

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David Binney's Anacapa is a wonderful mainstream jazz album.  RIYL: Pat Metheny, imagination, Wayne Shorter.

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Nick Waterhouse's Holly is RIYL: Hanni El Khatib, Uma Thurman's character in Pulp Fiction, The Blasters.

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The Village Voice's examination of the origins of Bob Marley's Legend is fascinating.

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Bobby Hutcherson's Enjoy the View fails to hold my attention.  RIYL: David Sanborn, Blue Note Records, Joey DeFrancesco.

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The cowboy rides away with a gross of $60 million.  The financials of 2014's top tours are fascinating.

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Cyrus Chestnut's Midnight Melodies is a fine live piano trio album. 

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Good on Metallica.

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Sage Francis is very angry.  Copper Gone is RIYL: Mac Lethal, sour grapes, Aesop Rock.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)