Living Blues News Kansas City blues (and jazz) is getting some major coverage in the current (January-February) issue of Living Blues. The "Kansas City Special" edition of the national glossy prominently showcases pianist-singer-bandleader Jay McShann (who is also on the cover), violinist Claude "Fiddler" Williams, harmonica vet Little Hatch, piano man Roy Searcy and guitarist Sonny Kenner. There is also a nice sidebar with pianist-singer Luqman Hamza, an informative intro written by KCUR's Chuck Haddix, and more KC-related text than you could shake a drum stick at (including a "great day in KC" photo of numerous blues and jazz artists taken last year in front of the Mutual Musicians Foundation). Run, don't walk, to the nearest magazine rack for this one. It's a collector's item. George Salisbury Saluting Salisbury George SalisburyFor the 23rd year, the George Salisbury Cabaret Concert at UMKC's Pierson Auditorium will honor the memory of one of Kansas City's finest jazz musicians. (Salisbury, who died in 1986, was a highly regarded pianist and teacher at the Conservatory.) Headlining the 2000 event, Sunday, February 6, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., will be the Tim Whitmer Quartet (featuring Jim Mair), the Luqman Hamza Trio, The Scamps, and Ahmad Alaadeen with the UMKC Jazz Ensemble. Proceeds from the concert benefit UMKC's Salisbury Scholarship Fund, so the event is also an investment in the future of KC jazz. Call 816-235-2700 for tickets to this event. And as long as we're talking UMKC, here are some other jazz highlights of the winter-spring semester now underway. Call 816-235-2900 for ticket info and additional details. Friday, Mar. 3 -- District Jazz Band Concert, White Hall, 7:30 p.m. Free. Saturday, Mar. 4 -- Jazz Festival Concert, with guest artist Rob McConnell, White Hall, 7:30 p.m. Free. Friday, Apr. 21 -- Jazz Ensemble Concert, White Hall, 7:30 p.m. A KC Homecoming... KC has a way of grooming and exporting excellent jazz guitarists. (Look for a review in the near future of a new CD from the widely traveled Steve Cardenas.) One such alum has been on the road with the Count Basie Band for the last four years and is scheduled to make a rare KC appearance. On Thursday, February 10, Will Mathews will be performing at the Blue Room with a trio consisting of Mathews on guitar, Ken Lovern on Hammond organ and Donivan Bailey on drums. The music of Grant Green will be featured along with several Mathews originals. The Blue Room is at the corner of 18th & Vine; the music on Thursdays runs from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. ...and a Prairie Home Karrin As the old saying goes, "check local listings" for broadcast times of Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" on Saturday, February 12. KC-based vocalist Karrin Allyson is scheduled to appear on the live radio program originating from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN. Joining her will be guitarist Rod Fleeman and bassist Bob Bowman. The show will be re-broadcast on Sunday, February 13. A Triumphant Return... Due to popular demand, singer/actress Sharon Thompson has been asked by the Quality Hill Playhouse, 303 W. 10th, to return for another run of the play "Hi Hat Hattie," first performed by Thompson in 1996. "I was honored to receive the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in '96," says Thompson. "It's wonderful news that I've been asked to return." The play also received awards for Best Musical and Best Director. This encore engagement begins Friday, February 11 and runs through Sunday, March 12. Call the theater at 816-421-1700 for ticket information. ...And a Symposium Encore Last year's Charlie Parker Symposium, complete with the unveiling of Robert Graham's Parker memorial, was not a one-shot deal. As we reported at the time, it is Dr. Rowena Stewart's wish to make it an annual event. "But, only if we can keep the attendance up," said the Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum. This year, Charlie Parker Symposium 2000 will take place at 18th & Vine, Thursday through Saturday, March 23-25. Dr. Billy Taylor will again be featured in both the role of moderator and pianist along with such luminaries as Jimmy Heath, Cecil Payne, Roy Haynes, Sheila Jordan, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Carl Atkins, John Handy, Monty Alexander, Chico O'Farrill, Penelope Williams, Dr. Tammy Kernodle, Dr. Guy Ramsey, Willard Jenkins, Keter Betts and Dr. Leonard Brown. Among the activities planned, a full day will be devoted to the lives of three women who made immeasurable contributions to jazz: Mary Lou Williams, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. As we go to press, Parker Symposium 2000 is still evolving. Call 816-474-8463 for updates and ticket information. Jazz at the Symphony Chick Corea Newly arrived conductor and music director of the Kansas City Symphony, Anne Manson has scheduled an adventuresome lineup of performances for her first full season at the helm, several of which have strong jazz ties. Among the artists with jazz connections coming to town in 2000 are Richard Stoltzman (February 11-13) and Chick Corea (February 18-20). Singer Bobby McFerrin is scheduled for a pops performance with the symphony on May 5. "Richard Stoltzman is an incredible player," said Ms. Manson recently. "I think he's probably the best clarinetist in the world. He will be performing Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto and two Gershwin pieces, 'Promenade' and 'Bess, You Is My Woman Now' from 'Porgy and Bess.' "Copland's concerto was originally written for Benny Goodman. And it may be the most strongly jazz-influenced piece he ever wrote. Richard Stoltzman, who is probably better known as a classical artist, also has a lot of experience playing jazz. He plays both styles beautifully." Chick Corea will be a more familiar name to jazz buffs. And his grasp of modern concerto composition came as a surprise to Manson. "Chick's piano concerto is a piece that was actually written in the 1980s. It was most recently performed last November with me and the London Philharmonic. It's a very interesting concerto, and it's really Chick's piece in the sense that it's jazz influenced; but it also has a kind of 'American' sound to it not dissimilar to that of Aaron Copland. That's what surprised me when I first heard it. It has a wonderful sense of rhythm, melodically it's quite inventive, and there are even some stretches of improvisation." Tickets for these and other symphony concerts are now on sale. For reservations and additional info, call the symphony ticket office at 816-471-0400 or drop by the lobby of the Lyric Theater, Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Next Stop: the Jazz Train Since last fall, the Jazz Train, a multi-faceted project with emphasis on jazz history, performance, dance, books and film has utilized the Gem Theater, the Lied Center in Lawrence, the State Ballet of Missouri and selected area locations to present an ambitious, ongoing program. Next up is the Jazz Train "Film Festival," Saturday, February 19 (Gem Theater) and Saturday, February 26 (Liberty Hall in Lawrence). Hosting will be KU Professor of Theater and Film (and well-known jazz critic), Chuck Berg. On the agenda are films, cartoons and musicals from the '30s and '40s to the present featuring jazz elements. Admission is free, but seating is limited and vouchers are required. To get onboard, call the Lied Center box office at 785-864-ARTS (2787). #92 For Fiddler Is Claude "Fiddler" Williams cool with this whole 21st century thing? Check out the email we received in "Correspondence;" he and wife Blanche are online! Help the great jazz violinist celebrate his 92nd birthday at Club Mardi Gras, 19th and Vine, at a special jam on Monday, February 21. Things start to swing at 7:00 p.m. Attention Jazz Lovers! Add Liberty to the growing list of KC suburbs with attractive jazz events and festivals. On Saturday, February 26, the Music Lover's Jazz Festival will feature a combination of area talent and a nationally known headliner at the Liberty Theater, 1600 S. Withers. Scheduled to appear are the Eldar Djangirov Trio (featuring the 12 year old piano phenom from Russia), the Kim Park Quartet (the leader is one of KC's finest saxophonists), and the Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist out of Chicago, Kurt Elling. (See this issue's "Q&A" for more about Mr. Elling.) Several area college jazz groups are also expected to perform, and master classes will be offered by Elling (vocal), Gerald Spaits (bass) and Stan Kessler (brass) who will also be appearing with Sons of Brasil in the afternoon. The festival begins at 1:00 p.m. and continues through the celebrity concerts that begin at 7:00. Call 816-792-6130 to reserve tickets, and visit the festival web site at www.ci.liberty.mo.us/theatre.htm Here's Hoping Hope House, a shelter for battered women in eastern Jackson County, is well connected to the jazz and blues community. The recent jazz-blues CD Heatin' Up the Holidays is but one example of this bond, as is an event up and coming. The 5th annual "Have a Heart" blues and jazz jam to benefit Hope House is set for Sunday, February 27, noon to 6:00 p.m. at B.B.'s Lawnside Bar-B-Q, 1205 E. 85th. Featured performers include Diane "Mama" Ray (host) and the Rich VanSant Band, Valentine and The Ticklers, the Rick Hendricks Trio (with guests Sharon James and Kent Means), Lawrence Wright and The Outlets, Mudslinger, Everette DeVan and Millie Edwards, the Pat Morrissey Quintet, Tom "Trashmouth" Baker and many other special guests. Call 816-461-4188 (ext. 231) for additional information. Tickets can be purchased at B.B.'s, and will also be available at the Harlings Upstairs jam on Saturday, February 26. A Classy Classic Gerald Dunn On February 25-27, Art & Soul, Inc. will present Classic Black 2000, the grand finale to KC's annual Black History Month celebration. According to Art & Soul, Inc. president, Ken Lumpkins, Classic Black is "an indoor expo held to celebrate Black History and an occasion that transcends the ordinary with a potpourri of ethnic expression, entertainment, dining, specialty vendors, socializing and words of inspiration." The event begins on Friday, February 25 with an 11:30 a.m. luncheon at the Westin Crown Center Hotel. Then, on Saturday evening, February 26, the "Classic Black Gala" will take place at the Scottish Rite Temple, Linwood and Paseo. "This event provides a platform for networking, socializing and greeting some of the distinguished guests and celebrities," says Lumpkins. Guests who opt for the 6:00 p.m. "Pre-show/Dinner" package will enjoy a cocktail hour with a performance by jazz vocalist, Angela Hagenbach. For standard ticket holders, the evening begins at 8:00 p.m. with the "Classic Black Revue" hosted by Tracy Townsend from KCTV-5 and Sonny Andre from KPRS-FM. Featured will be the KC Boys Choir, the Sounds of Africa, the Black Poet's Collective, jazz/blues singer Ida McBeth, the well-traveled McFadden Brothers, and the jazz/funk band Simplexity. And if that isn't enough, there will also be three Soul Pavilions featuring, among others, jazz saxophonist Gerald Dunn. The evening concludes with a dance party hosted by Myron D of KPRS-FM. Like to know more? Call Art & Soul at 816-965-7697 for additional info. Tickets for this multi-faceted event are on sale now. 23 and Going Strong March 2-4 will mark year 23 for the annual KU Jazz Festival at Lawrence's Lied Center. Featured on the 2000 edition will be headliners Marian McPartland (of NPR and keyboard fame), pianist Jim McNeely, saxophonist Dick Oatts and the a cappella quintet, M-Pact. Also featured will be the KU Jazz Singers, KU Combo I, and KU Jazz Ensemble I. Reserved seat tickets can be ordered by calling 785-864-ARTS or by visiting one of the KU box offices on campus. And don't forget to visit the festival web page at www.music.ukans.edu/special events. A Worthy (and Jazzy) Cause Kim Park On Sunday, March 12, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., more than 40 Kansas City jazz artists will jam at the third annual "Jazz Outreach" event, a benefit for those who receive services from the Swope Parkway Health Center's Outreach Department. Premier jazz organist Everette DeVan will return as the event's talent coordinator; featured musicians include Brian Harman, Eddie Saunders, Lori Tucker, Julie Turner, Tommy Ruskin, Angela Hagenbach, Kim Park and many more. "Jazz Outreach is a fundraiser whose proceeds help to assist the center's Outreach Department, which provides services to the homeless and HIV patients," says Dr. Leslie E. Becker, honorary chair of the event. Dr. Becker is also a member of the Swope Parkway Health Foundation Board of Directors and one of the KC jazz community's best friends. "It's probably the best lineup of Kansas City jazz for your dollar," Les adds. The benefit will take place at the Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania in Westport's Manor Square. Tickets are $25 per person, $60 for VIPs (which includes a buffet and commemorative poster). Like to know more? Call the Swope Parkway Health Center at 816-922-7606. Marian McPartland Jammin' at the Gem, Swingin' at the KCJW The "Jammin' at the Gem" series and the Kansas City Jazz Workshop both have attractive offerings for the remainder of their respective '99-2000 seasons. Up and coming at the Gem: Marian McPartland* February 12 -- The Gloria Lynne Trio. * March 25 -- Dee Dee Bridgewater. * April 27 -- The Art Ensemble of Chicago. * May 14 -- Marian McPartland/Trudy Pitts. And, at the KCJW at the Downtown Marriott: * February 7 -- Pete Christlieb/Ricky Woodard, tenor saxophones. * March 6 -- Giacomo Gates, vocalist. * April 23 -- Marvin Stamm/Mike Metheny, trumpets. Call 816-474-VINE for Gem Theater tickets and/or info, 816-436-0318 or 816-737-3627 for additional information about the Kansas City Jazz Workshop. Swing is the Thing Like to dance to the sounds of swingin' KC jazz and blues? Then you'll want to be on hand at the Starlight Room of the Kansas City Club, 13th and Baltimore, on Sunday, March 26. From 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. there will be a Tea Dance featuring headliners Kerry Strayer and his New Kansas City Seven, plus vocalists David Basse and Lisa Henry. Call 816-421-6789 for additional information. Topeka Jazz Fest 2000! Only in its third year, the Topeka Jazz Festival has made its mark on jazz in the Midwest. "The '99 festival drew jazz lovers from 22 states, Canada and England," says Jim Monroe, the festival's Artistic Director. "In 2000 we expect those numbers to increase." This year's event, May 27-29, will feature a plethora of local and nationally known musicians including Jeff Hamilton, Junior Mance, Terry Gibbs and KC's Interstring. And trust us, that's just the short list. For more information about this growing festival, call Monroe at 785-267-1315 or the Topeka Performing Arts Center (where the event takes place) at 785-234-2787. Now Available on Video In the June/July '98 JAM, we reported on Wayne Hawkins' role as film score composer for the locally produced "Ninth Street" starring Issac Hayes and Martin Sheen. The KC-based pianist and composer wrote for, conducted and performed the soundtrack, and was joined by numerous Kansas City jazz musicians. In November of '99 the film, written and directed by Kevin Willmott and produced by Rick Cowan, was released nationally on video and is now available to rent and/or purchase. In addition to area jazz artists, "Ninth Street" also features local actors Queen Bey, Don Washington and Kaycee Moore. Contact your local Blockbuster or Hollywood at Home for rental info, and check with Amazon.com for purchase availability. And Speaking of Flicks If you are a follower of filmmaker Woody Allen, you'll know that he's also dead serious about jazz. Scores to many of his films have reflected this passion, and he's been known to practice his cherished clarinet as much as two hours a day. Allen's latest, "Sweet and Lowdown," puts jazz front and center in the form of a story about a fictional Swing Era guitarist named Emmet Ray. According to jazz writer Ira Gitler's synopsis, Ray (played by Sean Penn and ghosted by guitarist Howard Alden) "lived at a time when jazzmen were first traversing the country, spreading consciousness of jazz even to American audiences who were beyond modest reach of radio and recordings." This is one for jazz history buffs, no doubt about it. It also features Uma Thurman and Samantha Morton in leading roles, Allen and Nat Hentoff as themselves, and the music of Django Reinhardt. R.I.P. We would be remiss to overlook the passing of someone who contributed mightily to the original glory years of KC jazz. In his day, trumpeter Ben Roberts rubbed elbows with such greats as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Jay McShann. He was also an Elder Statesman of Kansas City Jazz, a member of the Mutual Musicians Foundation, and a 1999 recipient of the first annual Frank Smith Spirit of Kansas City Jazz Award. Ben Roberts died on November 6, 1999. He was 80. And Doris Parker, former wife of Charlie Parker, died on January 17 in New York. She was 77. Bird and Doris were married in 1948, and she last visited Kansas City in March of '99 for the dedication of the Parker memorial at 18th & Vine. While here, Doris took part in symposium panel discussions about the life of Charlie Parker where her wit and insight made for several symposium highlights. 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 FEBRUARY 2000 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.