I’m not one of the three pasty men in the photograph that accompanies a
The New York Times report about the latest transmutation of the entity once known as Concord Records. While I bear a slight resemblance to the executives who oversee the conglomerate, I suppose I lack some of their business acuity. I certainly had myriad opportunities to get in on the ground floor of the operation. I regularly interacted with Carl Jefferson, the late founder of Concord Records, as I toiled as a sales rep for independent record labels when his company was strictly devoted to mainstream jazz recordings. When he wasn’t scolding me about slow payments or the ostensibly light spreads of his latest releases, Jefferson and I had delightful discussions about our mutual admiration of musicians like Ruby Braff. Even though things have worked out for me, I occasionally regret not striving to become a redoubtable music industry mogul.
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I
reviewed the 25th anniversary edition of Rockfest.
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I
reviewed Tech N9ne's return to the Midland.
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Future’s concert at the Sprint Center was my
show of the week for
The Kansas City Star and
Ink magazine.
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I gave
Nick Schnebelen my KCUR Band of the Week designation.
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I write
weekly music previews for
The Kansas City Star and
Ink magazine.
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I
reviewed Hermon Mehari’s solo debut album at Plastic Sax.
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Danny Cox
recalled the summer of 1967 for
The Kansas City Star.
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Bern Nix has died.
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The remix of Bob Marley & the Wailers'
Exodus is disorienting. Here’s
”Turn Your Lights Down Low”.
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Mad Decent added just the right amount of production sweetening to Omar Souleyman’s music on
To Syria, With Love. Here’s
”Chobi”.
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Cuong Vu’s
Ballet is miraculous free-ish jazz. RIYL: Bill Frisell, four (brilliant) dudes jamming, Dave Douglas.
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Orrin Evans might be my favorite mainstream jazz pianist. His presence elevates Sean Jones’
Live From at the Bistro. RIYL: Hermon Mehari, the St. Louis jazz club, Terrel Stafford.
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Rock may be dead, but the members of Greta Van Fleet are expert necromancers.
Black Smoke Rising is RIYL
Led Zeppelin IV, gravedigging,
Houses of the Holy. Here’s
”Highway Tune”.
(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)
