JAM: February/March 2003 Issue: Q&A with Steve Cardenas

STEVE CARDENAS

JAM talks with one of KC's favorite guitar-playing exports about time well spent in the Heartland.

JAM: What was it about coming up in KC that most benefited your music?

SC: There are a few things that come to mind. The fact that KC has a history of producing such great guitar players is one. It was inspiring to be able to go hear and get together with anyone in a scene small enough for everyone to know each other and be supportive. At the time I was beginning to play around town, it was a great environment for a young player. There was a lot of work, and being able to jump into a scene with older more experienced players was like getting on-the-job training. As many good music schools as there are out there, there's nothing that can replace having to come up with the goods in front of an audience on a regular basis. The groups I played in would range from those doing mostly standards to all-original-music bands, so I felt I was getting challenged all the time.

JAM: Who are some of your favorite KC-based musicians, then and now?

SC: Well, that is a difficult question because, inevitably, someone gets left out. I always thought of Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman as mentors. I took lessons from Danny for a while before I studied with John Elliott. But both Danny and Rod would invite me out to gigs they were playing and sometimes ask if I wanted to sit in. They were both very supportive and taught me a lot at a key time in my development. Of course, there were also all the guys in The Flat Five and Ida McBeth's band. And I played with Claude "Fiddler" Williams some... incredible swing! But you know, everyone I worked with and didn't work with I enjoyed. It's hard for me think in terms of favorites, because there are too many to name.

JAM: Kansas City has a long history of producing good guitar players. Why is that?

SC: I don't know if there's a clear cut answer or reason for that. It seems like when there are a couple of great players of any instrument in a small scene, it has a special influence on things. I remember Rod telling me a lot about when Pat Metheny was playing around town and how amazing that period was; it had to have an impact. When I was starting to play around town, Pat had already left, but just knowing his history and playing with many of the people he had played with was a boost, to say the least.

JAM: What's your take on the current state of jazz everywhere?

SC: There are a lot of things going on as far as I can tell. Here in New York there are clubs that are somewhat geared to certain musical approaches, so the range of jazz gets represented well. But that has been the case here for some time. There are always players I don't know about and new bands being put together and recorded. I guess the state of jazz is that, depending on who you talk to, it's always there to be had and heard. It's always changing and staying the same, and it has its periods where it's more present in the mainstream or less present. I had the pleasure of working with Norah Jones a little bit a couple of years ago. That's a good example of someone who may ultimately broaden the audience for jazz listening. I do feel however that the awareness and appreciation of jazz is far greater in Europe than in the U.S. Most of the work exists there as a result.

JAM: Do you have any current projects you'd like to tell us about?

SC: I just recorded a second CD for the Fresh Sound label. It should be out around the summer sometime. The rhythm section is the same as my previous trio CD: Larry Grenadier on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums. I added Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone for most of it as well. I've been in Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band for five years, which Tony Malaby is now a part of, too. And I've been in Joey Baron's band, Killer Joey, for three-plus years. Also, I'm going to be teaching a semester at CalArts in California until mid-May. I feel lucky to be a part of all these things, and at the best time of my life as a musician, which all started in Kansas City.






	Search our site:		STEVE CARDENAS JAM talks with one of KC's favorite guitar-playing exports about time well spent in the Heartland. JAM: What was it about coming up in KC that most benefited your music? SC: There are a few things that come to mind. The fact that KC has a history of producing such great guitar players is one. It was inspiring to be able to go hear and get together with anyone in a scene small enough for everyone to know each other and be supportive. At the time I was beginning to play around town, it was a great environment for a young player. There was a lot of work, and being able to jump into a scene with older more experienced players was like getting on-the-job training. As many good music schools as there are out there, there's nothing that can replace having to come up with the goods in front of an audience on a regular basis. The groups I played in would range from those doing mostly standards to all-original-music bands, so I felt I was getting challenged all the time. JAM: Who are some of your favorite KC-based musicians, then and now? SC: Well, that is a difficult question because, inevitably, someone gets left out. I always thought of Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman as mentors. I took lessons from Danny for a while before I studied with John Elliott. But both Danny and Rod would invite me out to gigs they were playing and sometimes ask if I wanted to sit in. They were both very supportive and taught me a lot at a key time in my development. Of course, there were also all the guys in The Flat Five and Ida McBeth's band. And I played with Claude "Fiddler" Williams some... incredible swing! But you know, everyone I worked with and didn't work with I enjoyed. It's hard for me think in terms of favorites, because there are too many to name. JAM: Kansas City has a long history of producing good guitar players. Why is that? SC: I don't know if there's a clear cut answer or reason for that. It seems like when there are a couple of great players of any instrument in a small scene, it has a special influence on things. I remember Rod telling me a lot about when Pat Metheny was playing around town and how amazing that period was; it had to have an impact. When I was starting to play around town, Pat had already left, but just knowing his history and playing with many of the people he had played with was a boost, to say the least. JAM: What's your take on the current state of jazz everywhere? SC: There are a lot of things going on as far as I can tell. Here in New York there are clubs that are somewhat geared to certain musical approaches, so the range of jazz gets represented well. But that has been the case here for some time. There are always players I don't know about and new bands being put together and recorded. I guess the state of jazz is that, depending on who you talk to, it's always there to be had and heard. It's always changing and staying the same, and it has its periods where it's more present in the mainstream or less present. I had the pleasure of working with Norah Jones a little bit a couple of years ago. That's a good example of someone who may ultimately broaden the audience for jazz listening. I do feel however that the awareness and appreciation of jazz is far greater in Europe than in the U.S. Most of the work exists there as a result. JAM: Do you have any current projects you'd like to tell us about? SC: I just recorded a second CD for the Fresh Sound label. It should be out around the summer sometime. The rhythm section is the same as my previous trio CD: Larry Grenadier on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums. I added Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone for most of it as well. I've been in Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band for five years, which Tony Malaby is now a part of, too. And I've been in Joey Baron's band, Killer Joey, for three-plus years. Also, I'm going to be teaching a semester at CalArts in California until mid-May. I feel lucky to be a part of all these things, and at the best time of my life as a musician, which all started in Kansas City. RETURN TO FEBRUARY/MARCH 2003 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2003. All rights reserved.