JAM Magazine: October/November 1998 Issue: News and Notes

KCJA Pioneer Named Institute Director
Since taking an active role in the formation of the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors in 1985, Ken Poston has gone on to big things in both jazz radio and jazz education. Based in Long Beach, California, Poston has achieved prominence for his ten-plus years at station KLON where he hosts "Portraits in Jazz" on Saturday mornings. He is also the station's Director of Concert Productions. Now the California Institute for the Preservation of Jazz at California State University/Long Beach has named Poston as its new full time Director. There he will oversee the Institute's efforts to provide jazz education, outreach, performance and preservation services for the western United States. Says Poston, "I feel that one of the most important functions of the Institute is to create a central repository to house and preserve the works of significant jazz composers and arrangers. There is really no other place in the country that concentrates on the actual music and I feel that we need to put this one-of-a-kind material in a safe environment where it can be preserved for scholars and jazz fans alike."

If you'd like to know more about the California Institute, call 562-985-4326.

Jazz Ensemble Funding News
An organization called Chamber Music America is looking for qualified jazz ensembles to apply for its Music Performance Program (MPP), a new two-year, cooperative venture between the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America, with major additional support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. As a national program, MPP will support a geographically diverse range of chamber ensembles as well as all types of instrumental and vocal configurations and repertoire from all periods. The support provided by this program is intended to "offer a means of encouraging performance opportunities that contribute to the artistic growth of not only participating chamber ensembles, but the chamber music field as a whole."

Technical and project support of up to $6000 is being offered. For more information, check Chamber Music America's website at http://www.chamber-music.org or send an e-mail to info@chamber-music.org. CMA can be contacted by phone at 212-242-2022.

BET On Jazz Opportunities
Beginning last month, BET On Jazz: The Cable Channel and BET began its fifth season of "Jazz Discovery," a one hour program geared to offering national exposure to aspiring jazz musicians and groups. Both vocalists and instrumentalists are encouraged to submit videos that have been recorded live, feature the entire group and include two tunes no shorter than three minutes each. There is no deadline for this on-going solicitation of tapes. Like to know more about this opportunity? Call BET's "Jazz Discovery" at 202-608-2653 and ask for detailed guidelines.

Bigger and Better
In the December '96 JAM, we blurbed a new compendium of jazz bios, record reviews and related info called the All Music Guide to Jazz: The Experts' Guide to the Best Jazz Recordings. Now in its third edition, the current All Music Guide to Jazz is over 50% longer with reviews and ratings of over 18,000 recordings and profiles of over 1,700 jazz musicians (including many with KC ties). Assembled and edited by Michael Erlewine, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra and Scott Yanow, edition #3 comes in at 1400 pages and is a highly recommend resource. To order, contact Miller Freeman Books directly at 800-848-5594 (email: mfbooks@mfi.com) or visit your favorite local bookstore. And for additional commentary about this book, see Floyd Levin's review in "Storyville" on page ??.

Showcasing New Talent
Four up and coming area jazz groups will be the center of attention at KC's 2nd Annual New Talent Jazz Showcase on Saturday, October 3. Hosted by 106.5's Dyan Deveraux and Fox 4 news anchor Harris Faulkner, this benefit for Living in New Community (LINC) will take place at the Gem Theater, 18th & Vine, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. A pre-concert cocktail party at 6:00 will be hosted by singer/actress Queen Bey. Tax deductible tickets are $35; proceeds go to help area homeless families; Jardine's, the Blue Room, Club 427, the Grand Emporium and the Phoenix are the event's sponsors. For additional info and reservations, call 531-3727.

More Good Sounds from the KCJW
The Kansas City Jazz Workshop's new season is currently underway and there are more fine concerts up and coming. Once again, please note that KCJW concerts are now taking place at the 12th Street Rag Room of the Downtown Marriott Hotel, 200 W. 12th (next to the Folly Theater). Here is the remaining schedule for '98-99.

October 5 -- Harry Allen (tenor) and Terry Harrington (tenor/clarinet) backed by KC's Danny Embrey (guitar), Paul Smith (piano), Bob Bowman (bass) and Tommy Ruskin (drums).
November 9 -- The Skip Peck Quartet featuring Donna Peck.
February 8, 1999 -- Phil Wilson (trombone) and Jimmy Seeley (trumpet) backed by Paul Smith (piano), Danny Embrey (guitar), Bob Bowman (bass) and Tommy Ruskin (drums).
March 16 -- The Ted Rosenthal Trio featuring Rosenthal on piano.

And an additional concert in the spring of '99 featuring a top local group TBA.

With the exception of March 16, a Tuesday, all KCJW concerts fall on a Monday and start at 7:00 p.m. For ticket information, call 436-0318 or 737-3627.

ESS & Jazz IV
On Sunday, October 18, at 4:00 p.m., Episcopal Social Services (ESS) will host its fourth annual benefit with a jazz theme. Featured at this year's concert at the Folly Theater will be the Pete Eye Trio with Eye (piano), Milt Abel (bass) and Tommy Ruskin (drums). Also on board will be vocalist Lisa Henry and guitarist Danny Embrey. ESS sponsors programs that help Kansas City residents in need of assistance. Services include Meals on Wheels, guidance and instruction for families learning effective parenting skills, and hospital after-care for those leaving the St. Luke's/Shawnee Mission Health System and who require non-medical services. ESS volunteers also help Social Security recipients with money management, and they coordinate collection of school supplies ("Operation Backpack") for children from low income families. Tickets for the benefit are $25 in advance, $30 at the door and can be ordered by calling ESS at 561-8920.

Like Dixieland?
Then you'll want to head on down to Osage Beach October 21-25 for the 8th annual Lake of the Ozarks Dixieland Jazz Festival. A total of eight bands from across the country will be featured including the New Reformation Jazz Band, now in its 28th year. The event takes place at Marina Bay Resort in Osage Beach, just a few hours southeast of KC. For ticket prices and complete performance schedules, call (toll free) 888-320-5200.

The Heartland Swings
What with all the renewed interest in swing music, the timing of "Swingtime Canteen: Christmas '44" at the American Heartland Theater, 2450 Grand, couldn't be better. The musical will feature over 30 hits from the 1940s including "In The Mood," "I'll Be Seeing You" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and will run from November 6 through January 10. Tickets can be purchased either at the theater box office (on the third floor of Crown Center) or by phone at 842-9999. Group rates are available.

Live at Fedora!
This just in. The ever-popular jazz/blues/funk/rock band Boko Maru will be taping a live music video on Saturday, November 7 at 210 at Fedora, 210 W. 47th in the Country Club Plaza. Join saxophonist Todd Wilkinson and company (with special guest Teri Wilder) for some rollicking good sounds starting at 9:00 p.m.

A Carnegie Debut
Local pianist/entertainer Tim Whitmer -- a regular at the Phoenix Bar & Grill for the past seven years -- is heading to New York for an important concert in an historic venue. "Tim Whitmer: The Man & His Music" is set for Sunday, November 15 in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and will also feature two other KC favorites. "The 90 minute concert will feature my own arrangements and compositions," says Tim, "and I'll be joined by special guests James Albright on bass and Jim Mair on saxophone. It's also the day after my 45th birthday, so it will be a special occasion." Planning on being in or near The Apple that weekend? Call 444-6262 for ticket info.

Topeka II
Within days of the completion of Topeka Jazz Festival 1998 last May, festival artistic director Jim Monroe began to set his sights on 1999. And now the 2nd Annual Topeka Jazz Festival is all set to go. Scheduled for Memorial Day weekend of '99 -- May 29-31 -- the festival will include, among others, Monty Alexander, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Bob Kindred and Trudy Desmond. And, as before, there will be a healthy contingent of Kansas City-based jazz musicians. Look for complete coverage in upcoming issues of JAM. And call 785-234-2787 if you'd like to know more.

Al Phillips 1908-1998
Veteran Kansas City jazz violinist and longtime professional musician Al Phillips passed away on August 14 at the age of 90. A performer in the early days of Midwestern radio, Al was featured on such prominent stations as WHO and WDAF and was a staff musician at KCMO until he retired. "Al was a fine violinist out of the Joe Venuti school," says KC bassist Ron Roberts. "He was a fixture in the Kansas City music community for a very long time." R.I.P.

Got News? Got Notes? Please send to: Editor/JAM, P.O. Box 36181, Kansas City, MO 64171-6181. Deadline for all submissions is the 15th of each odd numbered month.

RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 MAIN INDEX

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© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		KCJA Pioneer Named Institute Director Since taking an active role in the formation of the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors in 1985, Ken Poston has gone on to big things in both jazz radio and jazz education. Based in Long Beach, California, Poston has achieved prominence for his ten-plus years at station KLON where he hosts "Portraits in Jazz" on Saturday mornings. He is also the station's Director of Concert Productions. Now the California Institute for the Preservation of Jazz at California State University/Long Beach has named Poston as its new full time Director. There he will oversee the Institute's efforts to provide jazz education, outreach, performance and preservation services for the western United States. Says Poston, "I feel that one of the most important functions of the Institute is to create a central repository to house and preserve the works of significant jazz composers and arrangers. There is really no other place in the country that concentrates on the actual music and I feel that we need to put this one-of-a-kind material in a safe environment where it can be preserved for scholars and jazz fans alike." If you'd like to know more about the California Institute, call 562-985-4326. Jazz Ensemble Funding News An organization called Chamber Music America is looking for qualified jazz ensembles to apply for its Music Performance Program (MPP), a new two-year, cooperative venture between the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America, with major additional support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. As a national program, MPP will support a geographically diverse range of chamber ensembles as well as all types of instrumental and vocal configurations and repertoire from all periods. The support provided by this program is intended to "offer a means of encouraging performance opportunities that contribute to the artistic growth of not only participating chamber ensembles, but the chamber music field as a whole." Technical and project support of up to $6000 is being offered. For more information, check Chamber Music America's website at http://www.chamber-music.org or send an e-mail to info@chamber-music.org. CMA can be contacted by phone at 212-242-2022. BET On Jazz Opportunities Beginning last month, BET On Jazz: The Cable Channel and BET began its fifth season of "Jazz Discovery," a one hour program geared to offering national exposure to aspiring jazz musicians and groups. Both vocalists and instrumentalists are encouraged to submit videos that have been recorded live, feature the entire group and include two tunes no shorter than three minutes each. There is no deadline for this on-going solicitation of tapes. Like to know more about this opportunity? Call BET's "Jazz Discovery" at 202-608-2653 and ask for detailed guidelines. Bigger and Better In the December '96 JAM, we blurbed a new compendium of jazz bios, record reviews and related info called the All Music Guide to Jazz: The Experts' Guide to the Best Jazz Recordings. Now in its third edition, the current All Music Guide to Jazz is over 50% longer with reviews and ratings of over 18,000 recordings and profiles of over 1,700 jazz musicians (including many with KC ties). Assembled and edited by Michael Erlewine, Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra and Scott Yanow, edition #3 comes in at 1400 pages and is a highly recommend resource. To order, contact Miller Freeman Books directly at 800-848-5594 (email: mfbooks@mfi.com) or visit your favorite local bookstore. And for additional commentary about this book, see Floyd Levin's review in "Storyville" on page ??. Showcasing New Talent Four up and coming area jazz groups will be the center of attention at KC's 2nd Annual New Talent Jazz Showcase on Saturday, October 3. Hosted by 106.5's Dyan Deveraux and Fox 4 news anchor Harris Faulkner, this benefit for Living in New Community (LINC) will take place at the Gem Theater, 18th & Vine, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. A pre-concert cocktail party at 6:00 will be hosted by singer/actress Queen Bey. Tax deductible tickets are $35; proceeds go to help area homeless families; Jardine's, the Blue Room, Club 427, the Grand Emporium and the Phoenix are the event's sponsors. For additional info and reservations, call 531-3727. More Good Sounds from the KCJW The Kansas City Jazz Workshop's new season is currently underway and there are more fine concerts up and coming. Once again, please note that KCJW concerts are now taking place at the 12th Street Rag Room of the Downtown Marriott Hotel, 200 W. 12th (next to the Folly Theater). Here is the remaining schedule for '98-99. October 5 -- Harry Allen (tenor) and Terry Harrington (tenor/clarinet) backed by KC's Danny Embrey (guitar), Paul Smith (piano), Bob Bowman (bass) and Tommy Ruskin (drums). November 9 -- The Skip Peck Quartet featuring Donna Peck. February 8, 1999 -- Phil Wilson (trombone) and Jimmy Seeley (trumpet) backed by Paul Smith (piano), Danny Embrey (guitar), Bob Bowman (bass) and Tommy Ruskin (drums). March 16 -- The Ted Rosenthal Trio featuring Rosenthal on piano. And an additional concert in the spring of '99 featuring a top local group TBA. With the exception of March 16, a Tuesday, all KCJW concerts fall on a Monday and start at 7:00 p.m. For ticket information, call 436-0318 or 737-3627. ESS & Jazz IV On Sunday, October 18, at 4:00 p.m., Episcopal Social Services (ESS) will host its fourth annual benefit with a jazz theme. Featured at this year's concert at the Folly Theater will be the Pete Eye Trio with Eye (piano), Milt Abel (bass) and Tommy Ruskin (drums). Also on board will be vocalist Lisa Henry and guitarist Danny Embrey. ESS sponsors programs that help Kansas City residents in need of assistance. Services include Meals on Wheels, guidance and instruction for families learning effective parenting skills, and hospital after-care for those leaving the St. Luke's/Shawnee Mission Health System and who require non-medical services. ESS volunteers also help Social Security recipients with money management, and they coordinate collection of school supplies ("Operation Backpack") for children from low income families. Tickets for the benefit are $25 in advance, $30 at the door and can be ordered by calling ESS at 561-8920. Like Dixieland? Then you'll want to head on down to Osage Beach October 21-25 for the 8th annual Lake of the Ozarks Dixieland Jazz Festival. A total of eight bands from across the country will be featured including the New Reformation Jazz Band, now in its 28th year. The event takes place at Marina Bay Resort in Osage Beach, just a few hours southeast of KC. For ticket prices and complete performance schedules, call (toll free) 888-320-5200. The Heartland Swings What with all the renewed interest in swing music, the timing of "Swingtime Canteen: Christmas '44" at the American Heartland Theater, 2450 Grand, couldn't be better. The musical will feature over 30 hits from the 1940s including "In The Mood," "I'll Be Seeing You" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and will run from November 6 through January 10. Tickets can be purchased either at the theater box office (on the third floor of Crown Center) or by phone at 842-9999. Group rates are available. Live at Fedora! This just in. The ever-popular jazz/blues/funk/rock band Boko Maru will be taping a live music video on Saturday, November 7 at 210 at Fedora, 210 W. 47th in the Country Club Plaza. Join saxophonist Todd Wilkinson and company (with special guest Teri Wilder) for some rollicking good sounds starting at 9:00 p.m. A Carnegie Debut Local pianist/entertainer Tim Whitmer -- a regular at the Phoenix Bar & Grill for the past seven years -- is heading to New York for an important concert in an historic venue. "Tim Whitmer: The Man & His Music" is set for Sunday, November 15 in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and will also feature two other KC favorites. "The 90 minute concert will feature my own arrangements and compositions," says Tim, "and I'll be joined by special guests James Albright on bass and Jim Mair on saxophone. It's also the day after my 45th birthday, so it will be a special occasion." Planning on being in or near The Apple that weekend? Call 444-6262 for ticket info. Topeka II Within days of the completion of Topeka Jazz Festival 1998 last May, festival artistic director Jim Monroe began to set his sights on 1999. And now the 2nd Annual Topeka Jazz Festival is all set to go. Scheduled for Memorial Day weekend of '99 -- May 29-31 -- the festival will include, among others, Monty Alexander, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Bickert, Rob McConnell, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Bob Kindred and Trudy Desmond. And, as before, there will be a healthy contingent of Kansas City-based jazz musicians. Look for complete coverage in upcoming issues of JAM. And call 785-234-2787 if you'd like to know more. Al Phillips 1908-1998 Veteran Kansas City jazz violinist and longtime professional musician Al Phillips passed away on August 14 at the age of 90. A performer in the early days of Midwestern radio, Al was featured on such prominent stations as WHO and WDAF and was a staff musician at KCMO until he retired. "Al was a fine violinist out of the Joe Venuti school," says KC bassist Ron Roberts. "He was a fixture in the Kansas City music community for a very long time." R.I.P. Got News? Got Notes? Please send to: Editor/JAM, P.O. Box 36181, Kansas City, MO 64171-6181. Deadline for all submissions is the 15th of each odd numbered month. RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.