The Whispers- Out the Box

Sealed.

I can't help feeling guilty every time I attend an oldies concert, especially knowing I just missed a vital Black Lips show. Reveling in nostalgia is for losers. Still, I really want to see The Whispers, Stephanie Mills and Take 7 this weekend. Songs like "Out the Box" are dated, but I'm showing a few wrinkles myself. When my peers were listening to Van Halen, Boston and Journey, stuff like "The Beat Goes On" really enhanced my dating experiences. Unaccountably, "Out the Box" is not included on the bestselling Whispers hit collection, and the disc pictured here is not longer available.

---
There's no better radio song at this moment than "Duffel Bag Boy".

---
It has no bearing on music, but outsiders looking for insights into the origin of my troubled psyche need to see this painfully hysterical video.

---
Kansas City Click: Get Low at the Record Bar tonight.

Oh, the memories! The Whispers, Stephanie Mills and After 7 are at the Music Hall on Saturday.

John Jorgenson & His Gypsy Quintet transform the Mountain Music Shoppe on Sunday.

Johnny Bush- Driving Nails (In My Coffin)

Buried.

The day's big music story in my town is the old-school queue already forming for Garth Brooks tickets. I listened to my modest Brooks collection last night. I was struck by two things as I heard the material for the first time in years. Like Thriller, it's amazing the way hits outnumber album tracks. And with all due respect to acts like Brooks & Dunn, it became obvious to me that many acts have thrived by rushing to fill the void left by Brooks' "retirement." I then turned to a stack of nearby Johnny Bush discs to refresh my palate. Green Snakes doesn't contain any hits, of course, but its hardcore honky tonk sure hit the spot.

---
Rakim, Ghostface Killah and Brother Ali backed by a live band? Incredible!

---
Kansas City Click: The Abracadabras sound like Puddle of Mudd covering the Beatles. See for yourself at Jillys tonight.

Ralph McTell- Nettle Wine

Empty.

Spinner recently listed Sinead O'Connor's "top heartbreaking songs." Her compelling choices include Ralph McTell's wonderful "Streets of London." Along with John Prine's "Hello In There," The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," Bill Morrissey's "John Haber" and Britney's "Gimme More," it's one of pop music's starkest chronicles of loneliness. "Nettle Wine" is a much happier song lifted from McTell's out-of-print live '76 Ralph, Albert & Sydney. Fans of Nick Drake would do well to investigate McTell's catalog. Here's a video of Ralph lip-syncing "Streets of London."

---
I watched a few minutes of Sunday Best on BET last night. The premise- a gospel singing competition hosted by Kirk Franklin- is great. But the way the show copies American Idol is disappointing. I'd obsess over the program if it displayed just a little originality. I'll try it again in November after the Rockies win the World Series.

---
Kansas City Click: The Black Lips, a "real" rock band, stumble into the Grand Emporium tonight.

Terry Anderson- Beer Drankin' Woman

On a beer run.

I don't even know what I want out of Bruce Springsteen anymore, but it's probably not the new disc that I'm obligated to buy tomorrow. (I still owe Bruce for helping me through my teenage years.) I don't want an important statement from rock music right now- I just want big dumb fun. What I'm really in the mood for is something like Terry Anderson's Olympic Ass Kickin' Team. It's the current rendition of Anderson's Faces-influenced sound also featured on the out-of-print What Else Can Go Right from 1996.

---
Anyone curious about the local music scene that most interests me should take a look at this set of photos I took at a street festival a couple weeks ago.

---
My review of Saturday's RBD concert is here.

---
Kansas City Click: Baby Birds Don't Drink Milk join Do Make Say Think at the Record Bar tonight.

Donovan- Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love Is Hot)

Grown up.

Dang those dastardly Driftwood Singers! Lefty's new post about Donovan-related project Open Road forced me to scrub the rust off the vaults of my neglected stash of psych-folk hippy recordings. And now that I've started down that weedy path, it'll be hard to find my way back to the UGK, Kanye and Chamillionaire discs that have provided my soundtrack of late. This bit of madness from '68 features Jeff Beck, Ronnie Wood and Nicky Hopkins. As with the Driftwood Singers' selections, "Goo Goo" takes "Sunshine Superman," "Season of the Witch" and "Mellow Yellow" to their inevitable acid-soaked conclusions. The chorus- "love is hot/truth is molten"- gives this fantastic Australian compilation its title. And don't miss the newly uploaded video for "Cosmic Wheels". The Driftwood Singers would surely approve.

---
Members of a Minneapolis audience have a new Ryan Adams story to tell after his so-called "meltdown" last night. Most everyone has an Adams story; here's mine. When Adams was shopping for a home for what would turn out to be Bloodshot's Heartbreaker, he gave an industry showcase in an intimate Nashville venue. My boss's boss, a mogul I'll call "B," was seated about fifteen feet from the stage. Although I was positioned across room I could easily hear B's severe criticism of Adams. Each time the young performer fumbled between songs, B would loudly exclaim, "He doesn't know what he doing!" or "What the hell is wrong with him?" B's behavior clearly added to Adams' obvious discomfort. I wish I could have told Adams that B often occasionally heckled me in the same fashion.

---
Kansas City Click: Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem catch the wind at Starlight tonight.

RBD will almost certainly draw a less reserved crowd to the same venue Saturday.

Wonderful guitarist Beppe Gambetta visits the Mountain Music Shoppe on Sunday.

The Modern Folk Quartet- This Could Be the Night

Morning.

I'm among the thousands of observers of the Phil Spector trial who are stunned today. That takes nothing away from the man's genius. One of the songs I hadn't heard until I bought Back To Mono, the Phil Spector box set, was "This Could Be the Night." It's a brilliant song about frustrated sexual desire. If you choose to listen to it with a dirty mind- as I suspect songwriters Spector and Harry Nilsson intended- it's really filthy. Spector's 1965 wall-of-sound production adds immeasurably to the tension. Incidentally, Amazon is practically giving it away.

---
Breaking news: Garth Brooks will perform a one-off show November 14 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

---
Kansas City Click: Texas country-rockers Reckless Kelly are at Knuckleheads tonight.

Red Norvo- Hallelujah

Farewell, Specs.

Jazz drummer Specs Powell died September 15. He was 85. Powell participated in a historic 1945 session for the Comet label in which young turks Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie joined Red Norvo's more conventional crew to record four songs. This alternate take also features Flip Philips on the first sax solo, Teddy Wilson on piano and Slam Stewart going wild on bass. The version I own doesn't seem to exist, but it appears that this collection includes the same material. Lovers of contextual oddities should also check out this footage starring Norvo and Dinah Shore.

---
A Mekons tour behind a new album! Life is good.

---
Kansas City Click: Georgia's Warm In the Wake join There Stands the Glass favorites OK Jones tonight at the Record Bar.

Jack Logan- Good Times, Bad Memories

The good times are over.

I remember the days when the unchecked enthusiasm of a record label's management (along with a healthy marketing budget) was sufficient to flood the marketplace with a preposterous amount of CDs. Sometimes the stuff actually sold through. Unfortunately, a few high-profile raves in the press didn't translate into sales of Bulk. Consequently, the double disc of home recordings by Jack Logan remains a fixture in all respectable dollar bins. I must have purchased a dozen copies over the years. "Good Times, Bad Memories," a primitive hybrid of Exile On Main Street and Reckoning, remains my favorite of Bulk's 42 tracks.

---
The comments to my review of Friday's Split Lip Rayfield show aren't very nice. Most artists would gladly accept comparison to Merle Haggard and Elvis Costello, as well as being categorized as "abundantly talented." My criticism was an attempt to suggest one possible reason Robbie Fulks hasn't achieved commercial success.

---
Kansas City Click: The Kerry Strayer Orchestra is at the Blue Room tonight.

Brave Combo- Akira's Eejhanaika

Passport revoked.

Perceptions of Brave Combo vary wildly. Many of my friends consider them a "wacky" joke band because of things like this. European-American folklorists think of them as a go-to house band. They're regulars on the polka-and-beer circuit. But for me, Brave Combo represent much more than masterful eclecticism. They're supreme purveyors of surrealism, like Devo and Zippy. What makes the Texas institution's accomplishment even more remarkable is that they've been on the road presenting their art at Octoberfests, polka festivals and rock clubs for over 25 years. This rarity is from a Japanese-only release on the P-Vine label.

---
Purveyors of international garage rock Gearhead Records are having a sale.

---
Kansas City Click: Brave Combo is one of the bands on the bill at Octoberfest tonight.

Organist Melvin Rhyne is at the Blue Room Saturday.

Fiesta Hispana might be the best place for fun on Sunday.

The The- Someday You'll Call My Name

No name.

One of the most notable local acts at a recent festival I attended was named "Event." Try Googling that. The conundrum brought to mind The The, another absurdly difficult name. Although the entity known as The The scored a few "modern rock" hits, it's entirely likely that more success would have come under another name, something like "Pineapple Salsa." The 1995 release of Hanky Panky probably didn't do much to maintain The The's fan base. While quite convincing, the collection of Hank Williams covers baffled many. An obscure CD single featured three acoustic covers not on the album, including "Someday You'll Call My Name." Amazon doesn't list the title, but it's available at Ebay. It looks like The The's Matt Johnson has been active lately. Clues are at his MySpace.

---
My friend Lee touts the young jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek.

---
Kansas City Click: Willie Nelson's bus parks at Starlight tonight.

Gil Scott-Heron- No Knock

Knocked out.

It's going to take some time to fully absorb the eighty minutes of sounds contained on the new Chamillionaire CD I bought yesterday. (At least it's shorter than the great UGK release, which I believe clocks in at seventeen hours.) Although it's somewhat deficient in musical inventiveness, Chamillionaire's effort is a landmark recording on several levels. It's the first important "clean" hip hop release in over a decade. And as Houston So Real pointed out, "dude actually has concepts on pretty much every song, he's rapping about things that matter." Chamillionaire's specific targets and pointed arguments are strikingly reminiscent of Gil Scott-Heron's work. Like Scott-Heron, Chamillionaire addresses attacks on personal liberties, perceived political threats and the crassness of the news cycle. Chamillionaire would no doubt relate to the sentiment contained on the alternate take of "No Knock" from the reissue of the 35-year-old Free Will.

---
The East Bay Express has an startling profile of Too $hort's career path.

---
Kansas City Click: Los Angeles' Julia Othmer brings her mainstream adult pop to Bar Natasha tonight.

Jeffrey Osborne- Love Ballad

All out of love.

That's For Sure is far from a great album; it's no tragedy that the 2000 release is out-of-print. The new-jack-swing production is woefully misguided. Jeffrey Osborne's wonderful voice is just another element in the high-gloss sheen. Except... the disc concludes with a live rendition of "Love Ballad," a 1976 hit for the soul singer when he fronted L.T.D. It's the real deal. This video isn't what I had in mind when I searched for the original version, but I'm still glad I uncovered it.

---
You're the cutest little jailbird I ever did see.

---
Cuban trombonist Generoso Jimenez died at 90. I wish I knew who was who in this related video.

---
Kansas City Click: I'm not a big fan of Savoy Brown, but I'd love to peek inside the Beamont tonight to see if they can attract any kind of audience to the cavernous venue.

Sonny Rollins- Salvador

Passport expired.

Yesterday's New York Times published a thoughtful essay by Ben Ratliff about Sonny Rollins' stubborn insistence on following his own muse. Many of the jazz giant's most ardent fans want him to return to the sax-bass-drums trio format. That sound can be heard in this 1959 clip. This selection from a 2000 recording defiantly issued as This Is What I Do features three of Rollins' most egregious choices, according to the critics cited in Ratliff's piece. It's a calypso. It features piano. And the bass is electric. While I dig the calypso format, I could do without the latter two elements. But the worst thing a genius of Rollins' caliber could do, of course, is acquiesce to the desires of fans- be they moldy figs or noisemongers. (Lesser talents, however, should gladly accept the advice of know-it-alls like me.) Rollins' celebratory tone on "Salvador" is infused with brash confidence, as if he's marking his territory.

---
The American Jazz Museum's "Street Festival" went extraordinarily well Saturday. My wrapup is here.

---
Kansas City Click: Gary Foster plays at the downtown Marriott.

Slow Gun Shogun- Lyin' Again

The truth has been told

AJ, the mastermind behind one-man-band Slow Gun Shogun, fancies himself a gonzo outlaw. But don't hold that against him. I'm down with anyone who features both Waylon Jennings and Peter Tosh among his MySpace friends. Like fellow solo traveler Scott Biram, Shogun knows his classic American roots music. Yet where Biram falls back on John Lee Hooker, Shogun turns to the sludge of bands like Mudhoney. His rough six-song self-release Stray Dogs, Broke Cars, Graveyards... was recorded a couple months ago in Chicago. It finds Shogun conjuring the defiant weariness of all three Hank Williams, Jon Langford and Mike Ness.

---
Even though I had a good time at last night's Arctic Monkeys show, it left me unsatisfied. I was hoping for a Spirit of '76 mess- kind of a woozy lads-in-the-pub experience. Instead, the young British band was professional to a fault. I wanted catharsis- not a nifty light show. Instead of this, it felt like this.

---
How bad was Voxtrot's opening set for the Arctic Monkeys? It was so hideous that I began looking for objects to hurl at the Austin band. They were entirely irredeemable. Until now, I've never criticized the "cool kids" music blogs. But if Voxtrot is what passes for exciting in hipster circles, then I'm relieved that I'm hopelessly uncool.

---
The most discussed song in Kansas City today is was here. Allegedly, that's Chiefs running back Larry Johnson dissing Priest Holmes and Carl Peterson.

---
Kansas City Click: Mark Olson plays an early show at Davey's tonight. I caught his Borders in-store yesterday; Olson and his band were charming.

Look for me on Saturday at the American Jazz Museum's Street Festival. Between Cameo and dominos, how can you lose?

I have no idea what time Peregrinos Musical play the City Market on Sunday, but based on the strength of their downloadable songs at MySpace, I intend to find out. The local nortena band also has a low-tech promotional video.

Bobby Byrd- Never Get Enough

Too much.

In a reversal of common perception, Bobby Byrd is the front man on 1972's "Never Get Enough" while James Brown offers running commentary and harmonies. It's from the out-of-print The Best of Bobby Byrd. The collection is loaded with prime funk and soul issued under Byrd's name. Byrd first encountered Brown when the future Godfather of Soul was serving time in juvie. Byrd died yesterday.

---
This death march is exhausting. Willie Tee passed away Tuesday.

---
Here's my review of last night's Indigo Girls show.

---
I profile Mark Olson here.

---
Kansas City Click: The Arctic Monkeys make their Kansas City debut at the Uptown tonight.

The Rebirth Brass Band- Just the Two of Us

None.

The Rebirth Brass Band will be in Kansas City this weekend on official government business. While I really enjoy the efforts of local brass bands Loose Cannon and Dirty Force, it'll be fun to hear one of the world's top five exponents of the form on our home turf. Links to details about "Turning X On 18th & Vine" are available at Plastic Sax. This cover of the Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers hit is from the out-of-print The Main Event. And ReBirth offers a spirited rendition of Joe Zawinul's "Mercy Mercy Mercy" here.

---
Ann Wilson's solo album hit store shelves yesterday. Her take on Zep's "Immigrant Song" is pretty darn impressive.

---
Kansas City Click: The Flaming Lips touch down at the Uptown tonight. I'll be the Wayne Coyne doppelganger.

Joe Zawinul, 1932-2007

Farewell.

Perhaps more than any other individual, Joe Zawinul is responsible for my initial interest in jazz. I'd never been exposed to anything quite like "Birdland" when the Weather Report instrumental became a radio hit in 1977. I soon discovered Jaco, Shorter and, of course, Zawinul. That led to Miles and beyond. Zawinul died today at the age of 75. It's impossible to select a single piece to accurately represent Zawinul, but "Tower of Silence" from 2002's Faces & Places represents many of his music's characteristic traits- deep groove, conceptual genre-bending and technical adroitness.

---
Kansas City Click: Joe Cartwright and Gerald Spaits, two guys who have almost certainly listened to their fair share of Zawinul, are at the Majestic.

Mike Andrews- Love Is Tired

Exhausted.

A sure sign of a compulsive music acquisition problem is buying CDs that you never even open. That almost happened to Mike Andrews' Hand On String. It's been collecting dust in one of many teetering piles of neglected discs at There Stands the Glass central. It wouldn't have changed my life if I'd played it the day I rescued it from a retailer's sale bin, but no collection can have too much Harry Nilsson-influenced post-Elliott Smith pop. The imaginative production is especially notable.

---
"The Ranch" kept me company as I drove across Kansas over the weekend. Between detailed ag reports, the country oldies station mostly stuck to obvious picks by Merle, the Possum, Cash and Waylon. So I about drove into a ditch when "Riding My Thumb To Mexico" blared from my car speakers. Man, it'd been years since I'd heard Johnny Rodriguez.

---
Kansas City Click: The Ataris are at the Grand Emporium tonight.

The Pretenders- Criminal

Locked up.

It's Chrissie Hynde's birthday. Wanna guess her age? It's difficult for me to fathom, but she's 56 years old. The first Pretenders album was a staple of my college years. I kept buying Pretenders albums, hoping that each one would approach the quality of that first release. None did, but many contained lovely songs like "Criminal." It's from the out-of-print Mitchell Froom production Packed!.

---
Wonderful Kansas City chanteuse Megan Birdsall recently received some bad news. She's seen here dissing Topeka before singing "Wichita Lineman."

---
Kansas City Click: OK Jones plays a free show tonight at the River Market Brewery.

The best place to be Saturday and Sunday is the Crossroads Music Fest. From Malachy Papers to Lucero, and from Lights & Siren to Eleni Mandell, it's a rich lineup.

Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007

Curtains.

Music needs characters like Luciano Pavarotti now more than ever. That makes news of the icon's death even more painful. As they're being increasingly pushed aside by other mediums, classical, jazz and folk musics require flamboyant, larger-than-life ambassadors. Not to take anything away from the artistic merits of Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis or Doc Watson, but their personalities don't lend themselves to the challenge of providing warm, immediately engaging representations of their individual genres as did Pavarotti.

The Kansas City Star provides a local angle on Pavarotti's death. His 1973 "international solo recital debut" was in Kansas City. While the New York Times obituary makes for entertaining reading, it comes across as unnecessarily cruel. It asserts that Pavarotti "seemed increasingly willing to accept pedestrian musical standards," "was not an intellectual presence," and had a "dominant gift for soliciting admiration from large numbers of people."

Pavarotti's best loved work may have been Puccini's Tosca, heard here on this hit 1990 recording. He sings a triumphant rendition of the same piece here.

---
Kansas City Click: I'd like to see more of Pavarotti's carefree consequences-be-damned attitude from Gretchen Wilson. She was initially billed as a wild outlaw, but Wilson seems to have been overly obsequious lately. She's at Ameristar tonight.

Greg Kihn- For Your Love

The love is over.

Let's start a Greg Kihn revival. Even when he became an MTV staple with dubious hits like "Jeopardy," I was always partial to Kihn's power pop. Not only was his music consistently catchy, it was obviously grounded in a solid understanding of rock music's history. This Yardbirds cover serves as an example. It's from the out-of-print Kihnspicuous Taste compilation. In addition to writing novels, Kihn currently toils as a KFOX jock and also has his own Live365 stream. It's "Kihn-tagious."

---
Meet pianist Matt Herskowitz, Barry Manilow's new collaborator.

---
Janis Martin died earlier this week. In this video clip, Martin explains how she became the "female Elvis." Her cover of Roy Orbison here is tons of fun.

---
My head almost exploded when I tuned into the opening of the Kansas State-Auburn football game Saturday night. ESPN's new Saturday night theme song is a collaboration between 50 Cent, Kelly Rowland and Perry Farrell. Really.

---
Kansas City Click: Keith Kirchoff has a piano recital at UMKC tonight. He'll be performing works by Derek Bermel, Ives, Ruggles and others.

Hank Jones- Lazy Afternoon

Night.

I don't yet own Hank Jones' new album with Joe Lovano. It's receiving terrific notices, and an EPK for the release convinced me that I must find a copy. (I do, however, relish their work together on this year's Billy Strayhorn tribute.) On the 89-year-old's out-of-print 1989 Lazy Afternoon he's joined by Dave Holland on bass, Keith Copeland on drums and Ken Peplowski on reeds. It's all very nice, of course, but it's the title track that's utterly brilliant.

---
I'm waiting for an irate mob of Nickelback and Daughtry fans to bust down my door. They're not amused by this review of Sunday's show.

---
On the other hand, concertgoers seem to think I was overly generous in my negative review of the Black Crowes' Friday night outing.

---
Ali & Gipp are what's making cash registers ring in my neck of the woods.

---
The moment I saw the headline- Colorado Police Link Rise In Violence to Music- I knew the story would be about Colorado Springs. It's a gritty town with startlingly varied social contrasts.

---
Kansas City Click: I'm amused that the manager of this area high school marching band's MySpace account posted today's practice as a show. They're good, but I don't know if they're good enough to compel me to sit in the heat and watch them work on alignments.

Tower of Power- Give Me Your Love

Hip no more.

It's probably an anomaly; it could signal a trend. At a handful of jazz and R&B concerts I've attended in recent months, stars have explicity referenced Tower of Power. And it's true that their brand of horn-driven funk will never go away. The strength of most recent release, the already out-of-print The Oakland Zone, offers proof. Carlos Santana sits in with the band in this live performance of their most famous song.

---
I continue to plug away at my lonely little Kansas City jazz blog.

---
Kansas City Click: Try the Irish Fest tonight. Return Saturday and Sunday if you have a good time.

The Black Crowes hit the Crossroads Saturday.

Ginuwine does this to the Beaumont on Sunday.

Why not catch Liverpool at Santa Cali Gon Days on Labor Day? They're not the Beatles, but they're free.

Solas- When My Love and I Parted

Gone for good.

Solas, a fine Irish-American band, performs in my town this weekend at a popular Irish festival. They have their critics, but I appreciate how Solas makes short forays into new territories from their firm base in traditional music. This song is from their 2000 The Hour Before Dawn release. This video is representative of the band's vibe.

---
I'm amused by Raheem DeVaughn's reworking of Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing." Download it at his MySpace page.

---
Kansas City Click: The Beach Nuts are at Harry's.

The Cro-Mags- Street Justice

Jailed.

Hilly Kristal died yesterday. By the time I got around to visiting Kristal's CBGB, bands like Television and Blondie had been replaced by the likes of The Cro-Mags. The hardcore punk group's out-of-print CD reissue of The Age of Quarrel and Best Wishes is an influential collector's item today. Would the group have had an outlet for their rage without the contribution of Kristal? Probably, but it wouldn't have been the same. Here's a tinny-sounding video of the Cro-Mag's 2001 reunion at CBGB.

---
I find plenty of nice things to say in my review of last night's Dave Matthews Band and Umphrey's McGee show.

---
While trapped in post-concert traffic, I heard a few tracks from the new Jacky Terrasson release. Gorgeous!

---
Kansas City Click: Johnny "Whiskey River" Bush is at Knuckleheads tonight.

Mark Chesnutt- Good Night To Be Lonely

Lonely no more.

The forthcoming holiday weekend is loaded with festivals. I don't know yet where I'll end up, but I could do worse than to catch Mark Chesnutt at Independence's Santa Cali Gon Days on Saturday night. Jason Michael Carroll opens. The honky tonk singer had a decent run of hits about fifteen years ago. My favorite is the summer heartbreak classic "Too Cold At Home". The song I feature from his self-titled release isn't quite as memorable, but true to the George Jones tradition upheld by Chesnutt, it also takes place in a tavern.

---
My review of Alice Cooper and Whitestarr is here.

---
Kansas City Click: Loren Pickford is at Jardine's.

World Saxophone Quartet- Netdown

Lost connection.

I attended a memorial service at Charlie Parker's grave yesterday. Bobby Watson, Ahmad Alaadeen, Chris Burnett and other area saxophonists ran through "Now's the Time." It put me in mind of the great World Saxophone Quartet. On the excellent post-Julius Hemphill 25th Anniversary: The New Chapter, Oliver Lake, John Purcell, David Murray and Hamiett Bluiett continue their tradition of providing the ideal balance between tradition and musical progression. It's fun to watch kids react to the W.S.Q.'s honking in this video.

---
I was entertained by Alice Cooper last night. I'd almost forgotten the primal appeal of great songs like "Elected".

---
Kansas City Click: Magnolia Electric Company and Golden Boots are at the Grand Emporium tonight.

Dale Ann Bradley- Last Drink of Wine

Empty.

Etta James spoiled music for me. Her incendiary show last night makes it difficult for me to enjoy anything else right now. So I thought I'd seek solace in a very different type of vocalist. One of bluegrass' most gifted performers, Dale Ann Bradley trades in subtle nuances and quiet strengths. Fans of Alison Krauss- an avowed Bradley advocate- should seek Bradley out immediately. If this song from the out-of-print East Kentucky Morning doesn't convince you of Bradley's merits, her cover of "Me and Bobbie McGee" might do the trick.

---
My review of Etta James is here.

---
I'm Not There? I'm so there.

---
Kansas City Click: The Wreckers play a free show at Crown Center tonight.

Club Kandi is advertising a Saturday appearance by Project Pat.

Alice Cooper brings his "Psycho-Drama Tour" to the Uptown on Sunday.

Andy and Joey- Wonder No More

Solved.

Ska and reggae guitarist Jerome "Jah Jerry" Haynes died August 13. He was 86. He played on hundreds of seminal sides. I'm sure it's a gross simplification, but I've always figured that either Haynes or Ernest Ranglin played guitar on every Jamaican classic up to 1965 or so. Dozens of those hits are featured on the absolutely essential Ska Bonanza collection. While Jones probably plays guitar on this fabulous Andy and Joey selection, only a few Jamaican crate diggers know for certain. The Specials later rewrote it as "You're Wondering Now." Here's some very rough footage of Amy Winehouse singing and dancing along to the song.

---
Here's an inspiring story about jazz vocalist Ed Reed. The guy did time with Art Pepper and finally managed to release his debut recording this year.

--
I heard "So Hott" for the first time yesterday and I wondered why Buckcherry didn't let their vocalist sing lead on the sleazy song. It turned out to be the new Kid Rock.

---
Kansas City Click: Etta James is at the VooDoo tonight.

The Pontiac Brothers- It's Alright At Home

The door's shut.

I wasted far too much of my youth balancing on a bar stool while bands like The Pontiac Brothers stumbled around on a nearby stage. A few of the bands I followed- the Long Ryders, Thin White Rope, the Pontiac Brothers and the Rain Parade- are featured in this video. The unintentional irony of Lisa from Frontier Records being interviewed in front of a record store's "cut out" sign really upsets me. Another priceless tidbit is a brief interview with folk-rock cult artist Iain Matthews, who was apparently moonlighting as an A&R guy at the time. This typical song is from an out-of-print CD reissue.

---
"Pray To the Lord" is presumably going to be on Lil Wayne's next official release. It might be my favorite song of the year.

---
NPR aired a interesting feature about Chinese jazz vocalist Coco Zhao last week. The sole video at YouTube leaves me skeptical.

---
Kansas City Click: I'd never heard of ZZ Rose until I bumped into her at MySpace. I can't say I became an instant fan, but I'll bet she went over well at the organic farmer's market she appeared at today.

Alison Moyet- Satellite

Landed.

I liked High School Musical 2. Sue me.

It's set at a country club on summer vacation, so I expected a heightened level of romance and accordant sexual tension. I was wrong. It's a completely antiseptic document perfectly suitable for American grade schoolers. Maybe it's just me, but there is one scene that seemed to convey an unlikely homosexual theme. In the Michael Jackson-flavored "I Don't Dance," two young men compete in a jazz-dance battle. Lyrics like "I'll show you how I swing/You'll never know if you never try/There's just one little thing that stops me every time" seem open to liberal interpretration.

I'm much more comfortable with Alison Moyet singing about a "she-boy" on this song from her 1994 Essex release. Unlike the content of High School Musical 2, it's honest and direct. Here's a Moyet video from the same period.

---
My friend M. uncovered a lovely version of "Waterloo Sunset" by a Vietnamese band.

---
Kansas City Click: Mark Lowrey is at Jardine's tonight.

Reverend Gary Davis- Death Don't Have No Mercy

Dead.

Not that it matters to anyone but me, but I've never featured the same artist twice at There Stands the Glass. I figured that I'd reevaluate the policy after I hit 500 posts. (This is #449.) If it wasn't for this self-imposed rule, I'd feature a song from Hillstomp's new After Two But Before Five today. The band is in my town tonight. But I already spotlighted the Portland, OR, duo 16 months ago.

Rather than post a Fat Possum artist- Hillstomp are deeply indebted to R.L. Burnside- I'm invoking Reverend Gary Davis. Hillstomp surely appreciate the gloom of this Davis favorite from a live 1967 recording.

In order to best illustrate the value of Hillstomp's punk-inspired take on traditional blues, I encourage you to compare and contrast these videos. Here's Hillstomp's aggressive approach. And here's a very famous group with the exact opposite tack.

---
One of my biggest musical and cultural shocks came several years ago when I joined a local jazz club and befriended the organization's younger members. Instead of finding Dolphy, Monk and Parker when I flipped through their collections, I discovered that their idea of jazz was Jon Lucien, Roy Ayers and Ronnie Laws. Lucien died Saturday. This video is typical of his style.

---
Kansas City Click: According to Back To Rockville, Hillstomp and a country-fried steak can be had at the Brick's Monday matinee for $6.95.

Fela Kuti- Gentleman

Retired.

Fela Kuti died ten years ago this month. I've never previously posted bootleg material, and for all I know, this dubious disc is entirely legit and was assembled at the Fela shrine in Lagos. I know my friend M. acquired the CD the same day he visited the site and had his photo taken with Fela's daughter. The four minutes featured here is less than a third of the original 1973 recording. Here's the out-of-print full-length album.

---
Go ahead and accuse me of having a man-crush on Rodney Crowell. My rave review of his Wednesday night show is here.

---
Elvis with a sock! I caught some of TCM's airing of Jailhouse Rock last night. I'd forgotten that it's incredibly entertaining. The trailer doesn't quite capture the film's sublime cheese.

---
I'd be, like, totally lying if I said I wasn't going to watch High School Musical 2 at least once this weekend.

---
Kansas City Click: Earth, Wind & Fire are at Starlight tonight.

It appears that Ozomatli is the first of three bands performing at Crossroads on Saturday night, but they're one of today's best live acts, as evidenced by this rough fan video.

The Wild Women of Kansas City play a free Sunday evening show in Leawood.

Max Roach, 1924-2007

Goodbye.

The great drummer Max Roach died today.

I last saw Roach when he was in Kansas City in 1997. In addition to headlining a traditional concert, Roach played at a ceremony in the lobby of the Black Archives. I want to say that someone honked on Charlie Parker's Grafton- I call it the Plastic Sax- at that event, but I'm unable to verify this recollection. As There Stands the Glass readers probably know, Parker used that instrument in the famous show at Massey Hall that featured Roach on drums.

This piece from Streams of Consciousness may be the single most concise and representative example of Roach's approach. The 1977 duet with Dollar Brand (later Abdullah Ibrahim), it shows both politically-driven musicians in top form.

(Thanks to my friend Jason for delivering the sad news.)

Herb Pomeroy, 1930-2007

Farewell.

Herb Pomeroy died August 11. While he worked with a number of greats, the trumpeter may be best known for his lengthy tenure at Berklee. He's paired with clarinetist Billy Novick on This Is Always, an out-of-print ballads session from 1996. Pomeroy's eloquent playing on this Ellington tune serves as a fitting elegy.

---
The latest chapter in Bruce Springsteen's dastardly plan to bleed me dry was announced today. Earlier this week, I stumbled across this rough footage of Bruce's best summer song, "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" from 1975. While it's much rougher than the officially released London video from later that year, it still wipes me out. "Them angels have lost their desire for us..."

---
Too young and ignorant to grasp the significance of Elvis' death thirty years ago, I recall laughing in disbelief at the hysterical mourning of his fans. I know better now.

---
Kansas City Click: The Redwalls, Mark Mallman and There Stands the Glass favorites OK Jones are at the Grand Emporium tonight.

Sugar Pie DeSanto- Do I Make Myself Clear?

Obscured.

Heads up, Amy Winehouse fans. This 1965 song by Sugar Pie DeSanto is a virtual blueprint for the English soul revivalist. With its wails, moans and threats, the performance is so tough that it'd give Diana Ross nightmares. It features Etta James, the woman who's always somewhat overshadowed DeSanto. But this gritty song, as well as "Down In the Basement," her biggest hit, have aged incredibly well. This seems to be the only DeSanto compilation of her classic work for Chess, and it's out of print.

---
Kansas City is well over twice the size of Little Rock, yet I'm very familiar with the sense of independence and isolation captured in the trailer for the music documentary Towncraft.

---
Kansas City Click: I'm a wimp. My multi-year string of consecutive Warped Tour attendance will be broken today. It was only 90 degrees last year on the Verizon parking lot where most of the stages are erected, and I still spent $15 on Gatorade. It'll be over 100 today. Forget it. It's too bad- I'd been looking forward to P.O.S., K-Os, Coheed and Cambria, Gallows, Pepper, Circa Survive and Tiger Army.

Ben Webster- Over the Rainbow

Evaporated.

Few have ever played as pretty as Ben Webster. That so many people are chattering in the background as Webster and pianist Kenny Drew bare their souls just floors me. I guess some things never change. The 1965 Danish session also features Nils-Orsted-Pedersen and Alex Riel. This title seems to be completely unavailable, but a second volume can be yours for $100.00. There's also a priceless video of Webster performing the same song with a different group.

---
I just returned from Branson, Missouri. Here are pictures I took of the tourist town's main drag.

---
The new release I'm rooting for today is Chingo Bling's They Can't Deport Us All. Here's the TV spot.

---
Kansas City Click: Danny Embrey sits in with the PBT trio at Jardine's tonight.

The Nels Cline Singers- Confection

Consumed.

Maybe I'm the only person in the world who'd like to hear Pat Metheny sit in with Sonic Youth. It might result in something like Draw Breath. The inspired improvisation is much more compelling than the recent similarly-minded Frisell/Motian/Lovano releases. Nels Cline manages to seemlessly blend the sounds Duane Eddy, John Fahey, Jimi Hendrix, Elliott Sharp and Marc Ribot. It's a probable year-end Top 10 album for me.

---
That's it!. I'm learning Portugese.

---
Mine is the only positive review I've seen of last night's Rufus Wainwright concert. I adored his performance.

---
Kansas City Click: OK Jones play a free show at the River Market Brewery tonight.

Like Johnny Thunders? So do The Rich Boys. They're at the Record Bar on Saturday.

T.I. headlines a big show at Kemper Arena on Sunday.

Benny Goodman- The Earl

Retired.

I couldn't help overhearing a group of elderly gentlemen as they visited the American Jazz Museum yesterday. Their comments- delivered in the shout utilized by the hearing impaired- were priceless. "Charlie Parker? Whose band was he in?" "Where the hell did Bob go?" "Where's the damn exit?" And my favorite: "There's not one picture of Benny Goodman in this place!" I forget that to much of the World War II generation, jazz meant Glenn Miller, Harry James, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. It'd be easy to dismiss old folks' lack of interest in the last fifty years of jazz. But not only would that be disrespectful, it would be a serious oversight not to investigate Goodman's later work. This May 1957 date features Hank Jones on piano and some startling clarinet work by Goodman. It's from the out-of-print The Yale Collection: Volume 4, a set of unreleased material from Goodman's vault.

---
My friend Tim told me about the forthcoming release by Arthur Alexander. Three songs stream at his MySpace page, and they're every bit as good as Tim indicated.

---
The new UGK is great- shockingly great.

---
Kansas City Click: It's my lucky day. I'll be indoors at the icy Harrah's casino for Rufus Wainwright, Neko Case and A Fine Frenzy.

Chris Smither- Time To Spend

Time's up.

I love Townes Van Zandt as much as the next guy. The troubadour deserves all the posthumous acclaim he's received. But where's the love for Chris Smither? Does the guy have to die in order to become fashionable? A few poor production decisions prevent Happier Blue from being perfect. The coveted out-of-print 1993 release closes with "Time To Spend." It reveals Smither's wit, lyricism and remarkable way with a guitar.

---
David Byrne covering "There Stands the Glass"? No way! Yet here it is.

---
Kansas City Click: Join the kids at El Torreon for Benison and Edwin Vs. the Ants.

Lemmie Battles- Jesus Is All We Need

The prayer ends.

Having overcome throat cancer, Chicago gospel star Lemmie Battles titled her new release You're Looking For a Miracle. And she's filled with the Spirit, as evidenced by this view from a pew. I'm quite enamored with the project- I'm going to listen again today before I crack the seal on the new UGK.

---
Ray Price was in magnificent form Friday night. My review is here.

---
Kansas City Click: The Go and Be/Non are at the Record Bar.

Art Davis, 1933-2007

Goodbye.

Even if he'd never recorded with the likes of John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Quincy Jones and Freda Payne, the death of Art Davis would still merit attention. As detailed in the Los Angeles Times obituary, his journey was incredibly rich and dramatic. That said, Davis' discography is amazing. And his work holds the chaotic We Free Kings together. His solo on this Charlie Parker number comes at 3:17. Davis is also heard to good effect working with Max Roach in this video from 1958.

---
I expect I'll buy the new Underground Kingz by UGK tomorrow.

---
Kansas City Click: The Fuchsia Band visit Eddie Delahunt's Cafe tonight.

Tommy Makem, 1932-2007

Farewell.

Tommy Makem, hailed by some as "the godfather of Irish music," died August 1 in New Hampshire. While it's not a song immediately associated with the Clancy Brothers, I couldn't resist featuring the poignant "The Dutchman" in this small memorial. It's a sentimental heartbreaker, perfect for Makem's spirited style. The song never fails to make my eyes a little watery. In the expert hands of these Irishmen, tears roll down my cheeks. It's on this live collection.

---
I speculate on the jazz audiences of tomorrow at Plastic Sax.

---
I'm currently infatuated with the unbelievable sound of Jessie Morales' band.

---
Kansas City Click: There's a stunning array great live music options tonight. I'm going with Ray Price at Knuckleheads.

Reverend Horton Heat and Murder By Death at Crossroads should make for a lively Saturday night.

Gary Sivils is at Jardine's on Sunday.

Dead Rock West- Pretty Disaster

Cleaned up.

Knowing nothing about Dead Rock West except that John Doe had selected them as tour mates, I was put off when I first heard Honey and Salt. I thought these kids were unnaturally slick and refined. Only when I read the band's press kit did I realize that they're not kids- they're roots rock lifers. Their professionalism was earned the hard way. The band's members have worked with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Peter Case, Rickie Lee Jones and John Prine. This fan video of the band backing Doe on "Fourth of July" last month proves that it's an ideal pairing. And this video reveals the terrific chemistry between Doe and vocalist Cindy Wasserman. The tour continues without a break through August 10. I can't wait to see them in Kansas City a week from today.

---
Tommy Makem has died. I'll have a proper post tomorrow.

---
Kansas City Click: Even without Dave Alvin, The Blasters are a sure thing. The great band is at Knuckleheads tonight.

Ron Carter and Richard Galliano- A Small Ballad

Vanished.

I've never comprehended the widespread dislike of accordions. They're simply breathing keyboards capable of more intimacy than most instruments. This 1990 collaboration between the great bassist Ron Carter and French accordionist Richard Galliano is infinitely charming. Dozens of Galliano videos grace YouTube. This one is particularly gorgeous.

---
Here's a suggestion for the makers of the next Harry Potter film: Use Leonard Cohen's "Who By Fire" over the end credits. Its lyrics and atmosphere are a perfect fit.

---
I'm surprised by how quickly I've embraced Mark Ronson's Dylan remix.

---
Kansas City Click: Wes Borland's Black Light Burns and Shudder are at the brand-new version of The Static Bar tonight.