JAM: October/November 2002 Issue: Folly Jazz News

by Doug Tatum

Off To a Great Start

On September 14, the 2002-2003 Folly Jazz Series got off to a great start in a celebration of Duke Ellington with our presentation of Art Baron and "The Duke's Men." For this concert, we were proud to bring tenor saxophonist Harold Ashby back to his hometown to appear as a special guest soloist with the band. The concert also featured Bobby Watson and Bram Wijnands, who both contributed immeasurably to the success of the evening.

At age 77, Harold Ashby is a living link to the era of Kansas City jazz that included such tenor saxophone titans as Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Following a period in the 1950s when he worked in Chicago blues bands, Ashby was a member of Duke Ellington's legendary saxophone section during the '60s and '70s.

Just before intermission at the concert, it was our great pleasure to honor Harold by presenting him with a plaque announcing his induction into the Elder Statesmen of Kansas City Jazz, and by reading a proclamation from Mayor Kay Barnes. I want to express my appreciation to Pam Hider Johnson and her husband Sam Johnson, Jr. for their assistance in arranging these honors for Harold.

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For our second concert of the season, the Folly is happy to present the Phil Woods Quintet on Saturday, October 12. For many jazz fans, Phil Woods has been the definitive contemporary alto saxophonist performing in the bebop genre. Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1931 and began studying the saxophone at age 12. After graduating from high school, he moved to New York for summer studies at the Manhattan School of Music, and then put in four years at Julliard. During the 1950s and '60s, Phil's jazz credits include work with Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Clark Terry, Bill Evans, Michel Legrand, Oliver Nelson, Charlie Barnet and Thelonious Monk, in addition to countless dates working as a studio musician for just about every type of project. In 1968 he left for a five-year expatriate stay in Europe, during which time he led his "free-jazz" group, "The European Rhythm Machine." In 1973, Phil returned to the U.S. and his bebop roots, and has been leading a quartet or quintet almost constantly ever since. Today, Phil remains incredibly active touring and performing with his group as he continues to carry the contemporary bebop torch forward.

René Marie

In our Folly Jazz Spotlight feature each year we present an emerging artist in their Kansas City premiere. This year's "Spotlight Pick" is singer René Marie, who will appear on Friday, November 15 with her Quartet. René is one of those "overnight sensations" twenty years in the making. Married at 18 and a mother of two sons by 23, René took a hiatus from singing in public to raise her family while living in her hometown of Warrenton, Virginia. While not active on the music scene, this time in her life served as a valuable period of incubation. In 1998, René newly launched her musical career to great critical acclaim, and now records for the Maxjazz label. Last year, her latest CD, Vertigo was voted "Top Vocal CD" in the JazzTimes Critics Poll. Writing about her in an editorial review for Amazon.com, Stuart Broomer had this to say:

"René is a major event in the jazz vocal ranks. She has passion and technique to spare, and she's willing to try unusual material and fresh approaches... in command of all the traditional virtues, unfaltering pitch and articulation, subtle inflections of her sound, and a personal approach to reshaping melody... one who sets her standards by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan but still makes her own statements."

For more information about the Folly Jazz Series or to request a brochure, please call the Folly Theater: (816) 474-4444.