Sour Concord Grapes

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.)

Silent Movies Make More Money

I bought a $15 ticket to be a part of the in-crowd at Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear’s joyous concert at the Midland theater last week.  The audience of 1,500 was the biggest I’ve seen for any single locally based artist in the past three years aside from Tech N9ne, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Joyce DiDonato or the Kansas City Symphony.  Here’s Tim Finn’s review.


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I reviewed last night’s Incubus, Deftones, Death From Above 1979 and the Bots concert.

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I reviewed Radkey’s Dark Black Makeup for KCUR.

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I contributed a Local Listen segment about Samantha Fish to KCUR.

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I play the role of Debbie Downer at the Charlie Parker Celebration.

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Even with the lousy sound on some of the later stuff, Miles Davis At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4 serves as a spectacular survey of jazz history.

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Nicholas Payton plays a lot of keyboards on the engaging Letters.  RIYL: Kamasi Washington, grooving, Stanley Cowell.

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I can’t decide if Tunde Olaniran’s Transgressor sounds more like an indie-rock version of Beyoncé or a pop version of TV On the Radio.  I also can’t decide if I like it.

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Omar Souleyman’s Bahdeni Nami is my kind of party.

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The Foreign Exchange’s Tales From the Land of Milk and Honey is RIYL: Soul II Soul, grown-and-sexy music, Bobbi Humphrey.  Here’s the video for the somewhat unrepresentative “Asking For a Friend.” 

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Oleta Adams, Chaka Khan and Nancy Wilson are among the guest vocalists on Terri Lyne Carrington’s The Mosaic Project: Love and Soul.   Here’s the EPK.

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I listened to Luke Bryan’s new album.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Akkilles- Something You'd Say

Something You'd Say is one of the prettiest rock-based albums I've encountered in 2013.  If that sounds like a backhanded compliment coming from me, well, you're right.  I prefer my rock with a heaping helping of rage and blood.  Yet Akkilles has something special going on.  On a gorgeously-produced album of songs that otherwise average well under five minutes, the second track of Something You'd Say is a nine-minute jam that evokes the Grateful Dead-by-the-way-of My Morning Jacket.  The gambit by the Kansas City-based indie rock band may not work for everyone, but I love it.  The remainder of the tracks are hazy pop songs, part David Crosby and part Yo La Tengo.  Yet Akkilles manages to avoid the dreaded stomp-folk dreck that's infested less assured musicians.  Imbued with a sense of exhaustion, Something You'd Say has become my come-down album of choice.


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I reviewed Tech N9ne's return to the Midland last week.

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I reviewed the performance by John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett at the Uptown Theater on Sunday.

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Jordan MacDonald, an aspiring rapper from Prairie Village, was killed last week.  The Prairie Village Post provides audio clips in its report.

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Charlie Chesterman has died.  Back in my roots-rock days, I wore a Scruffy the Cat t-shirt until it was in tatters.

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Here's footage of Radkey performing on a Dutch radio station.

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Everyone who loves Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs should know that Light In the Attic recently reissued Bobby Whitlock's first two solo albums.  RIYL: Leon Russell, bellbottom jeans, Delaney & Bonnie.

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I have a great deal of affection for Earl, Syd and Nardwuar.

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I'm pleased but perplexed that Omar Souleyman is the "world music" star of the moment.  (The publicist for his label deserves a raise.)  The Syrian's new Wenu Wenu is RIYL: maps, Shanachie Records, passports.

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I made it through all three hours of last night's broadcast of the Country Music Awards (with a little help from my DVR).  Gloom, despair and agony…

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This week's new releases of special interest to There Stands the Glass include Tamar Braxton, Bun B, Cut Copy, Eminem, Howie Gelb, the Inside Llewyn Davis soundtrack, Kronos Quartet, MIA, Kellie Pickler, Matt Pryor, Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs and Tinie Tempah.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)