JAM: August/September 2004 Issue: Hear and There

Laura Chalk's CD release party was a success. Jardine's was packed. She featured much of the material from the "My Favorite Things" CD - standards and bossa novas - and was fortunate to have most of the band from the CD on the gig : Paul Smith, Bob Bowman ( Gerald Spaits sat in on one tune), Danny Embrey and, for a few tunes, Rod Fleeman and Tommy Ruskin . The band was tight. My advice to anyone looking to cut a CD would be to hire these guys! Laura was relaxed and sang with more confidence than I've seen in the past. I look forward to more frequent Laura Chalk sightings.

I had the chance to catch Gerald Dunn and the Jazz Disciples a couple of times since the beginning of June. On one gig they featured poet Glenn North , who works at the jazz museum and works well in a jazz setting. His material is provocative, often witty, and has frequent jazz--especially Kansas City jazz--references. Part of his success is as a reader. He changes up his cadence as needed, pauses when the occasion calls for it, and accentuates his punchlines really so well. As he does this he directs the band to set the appropriate mood. The other gig was a Blue Monday Jam, this one notable for a great turnout of area horn players, most notably Jamal Sawyer . This UMKC student continues to impress on tenor.

Candace Evans held the stage at Jardine's June 28th, assisted by Steve Rigazzi on bass and Jim Mair on all of his saxes and occasional percussion. Jim mentioned that his annual jazz camp at KCKCC was very successful, with close to 50 students participating, a marked increase from previous years.

Doc Fuller's every-other-Friday gig at Waldo's Piano Room continues through August, and is a fun musical evening. On this gig Doc does more standards than usual, and his voice works well with the Gershwin, Waller, and others that are in his repertoire. He'll also throw in a little Hank Williams and Ray Charles. His guitar and vocals received able bass support on my visit on June 18th.

Marcus Moses' Club Del-Mar has closed, as the room's owner needed the space for expansion. Marcus hopes to find a new location in the near future. Listening to Marcus, he has a vision for the club of his dreams, and he is intent on fulfilling the dream. (He hopes to open a jazz club at 18 th & Vine.) We wish Marcus the best, and will miss him during his hopefully short absence.

The Kansas City Jazz 5, the Jack Lightfoot led group that went to Germany a couple of months back, appeared at the Blue Room on July 1. The group-- with Jack on trumpet and flugelhorn, Eddie Saunders on tenor and vocals, Craig Akin on bass, guitarist Charlie Gatschet , and drummer Jim Eriksen -- was supplemented by reedman Charles Perkins in what is a too-rare appearance. Perkins was superb on each of the instruments, including a clarinet solo on Gatschet's bossa nova arrangement of "Street of Dreams", funky flute on Blue Mitchell's "Funji Mama", and passionate alto reminiscent of Johnny Hodges on "In A Sentimental Mood". The band's repertoire is varied: mainly standards and blues, but also originals by Saunders, Eriksen, and Gatschet's hard-boppin' "Fly Boy", written for his airline pilot dad. And who else does Lou Donaldson's "Alligator Boogaloo", anyway? Saunders was in fine form, vocally and on the sax, amazing in that just two weeks prior he was in intensive care following a seizure, the only visible sign of which is an injured foot that has him on crutches. Best wishes on continued recovery, Eddie!

I saw saxophonist Ahmad Alaadeen July 17 at the Blue Room in a Coltrane tribute and a great night of music. Pianist Chris Clarke was very nice, as were Brian Hicks and Donivan Bailey . Eddie Saunders sat in on a couple of things, and Luqman Hamza sang "My One And Only Love" at the end. Big house, too. I even went over to the Mutual Musicians Foundation afterward for a bit and heard Saunders, Haji , Jamal Sawyer , Jim Eriksen , and a very nice sounding alto player whose name I didn't catch. I can't get over how many people were down there. At 2:45 am, it was fairly mobbed with the night people.

--Roger Atkinson

New York vocalist Roseanna Vitro was in town recently to promote her new album Tropical Postcards . I heard her at Back Door @ Shiraz where she performed with UMKC student Oscar Williams on piano, Brian Hicks on bass and Mike Shanks on drums. While this was not the group she had rehearsed with for her Midwest tour (which included Joe Cartwright), I thought Williams held up pretty well. And Roseanna had discovered the sex appeal in Hick's voice that makes the rest of the local female population swoon. Shanks did an outstanding tribute to the late Elvin Jones on drums.

The Jazz Lovers Pub Crawl in Westport may have been low on people but certainly high on talent. Californo's was the hot spot with two bands: Bram Wijnands' Majestic 6 with Hal Melia and the Wild Women of Kansas City . The two bands alternated sets at the courtyard behind the restaurant. It seems the Wild Women got everyone wildly excited. Of course dancing ensued at Californo's as well as at Kelly's where The Scamps played to a packed house. The Westport Art Ensemble also had a captured audience outside at Harpo's .

--Kathy Feist Vescovi






	Search our site:		Laura Chalk's CD release party was a success. Jardine's was packed. She featured much of the material from the "My Favorite Things" CD - standards and bossa novas - and was fortunate to have most of the band from the CD on the gig : Paul Smith, Bob Bowman ( Gerald Spaits sat in on one tune), Danny Embrey and, for a few tunes, Rod Fleeman and Tommy Ruskin . The band was tight. My advice to anyone looking to cut a CD would be to hire these guys! Laura was relaxed and sang with more confidence than I've seen in the past. I look forward to more frequent Laura Chalk sightings. I had the chance to catch Gerald Dunn and the Jazz Disciples a couple of times since the beginning of June. On one gig they featured poet Glenn North , who works at the jazz museum and works well in a jazz setting. His material is provocative, often witty, and has frequent jazz--especially Kansas City jazz--references. Part of his success is as a reader. He changes up his cadence as needed, pauses when the occasion calls for it, and accentuates his punchlines really so well. As he does this he directs the band to set the appropriate mood. The other gig was a Blue Monday Jam, this one notable for a great turnout of area horn players, most notably Jamal Sawyer . This UMKC student continues to impress on tenor. Candace Evans held the stage at Jardine's June 28th, assisted by Steve Rigazzi on bass and Jim Mair on all of his saxes and occasional percussion. Jim mentioned that his annual jazz camp at KCKCC was very successful, with close to 50 students participating, a marked increase from previous years. Doc Fuller's every-other-Friday gig at Waldo's Piano Room continues through August, and is a fun musical evening. On this gig Doc does more standards than usual, and his voice works well with the Gershwin, Waller, and others that are in his repertoire. He'll also throw in a little Hank Williams and Ray Charles. His guitar and vocals received able bass support on my visit on June 18th. Marcus Moses' Club Del-Mar has closed, as the room's owner needed the space for expansion. Marcus hopes to find a new location in the near future. Listening to Marcus, he has a vision for the club of his dreams, and he is intent on fulfilling the dream. (He hopes to open a jazz club at 18 th & Vine.) We wish Marcus the best, and will miss him during his hopefully short absence. The Kansas City Jazz 5, the Jack Lightfoot led group that went to Germany a couple of months back, appeared at the Blue Room on July 1. The group-- with Jack on trumpet and flugelhorn, Eddie Saunders on tenor and vocals, Craig Akin on bass, guitarist Charlie Gatschet , and drummer Jim Eriksen -- was supplemented by reedman Charles Perkins in what is a too-rare appearance. Perkins was superb on each of the instruments, including a clarinet solo on Gatschet's bossa nova arrangement of "Street of Dreams", funky flute on Blue Mitchell's "Funji Mama", and passionate alto reminiscent of Johnny Hodges on "In A Sentimental Mood". The band's repertoire is varied: mainly standards and blues, but also originals by Saunders, Eriksen, and Gatschet's hard-boppin' "Fly Boy", written for his airline pilot dad. And who else does Lou Donaldson's "Alligator Boogaloo", anyway? Saunders was in fine form, vocally and on the sax, amazing in that just two weeks prior he was in intensive care following a seizure, the only visible sign of which is an injured foot that has him on crutches. Best wishes on continued recovery, Eddie! I saw saxophonist Ahmad Alaadeen July 17 at the Blue Room in a Coltrane tribute and a great night of music. Pianist Chris Clarke was very nice, as were Brian Hicks and Donivan Bailey . Eddie Saunders sat in on a couple of things, and Luqman Hamza sang "My One And Only Love" at the end. Big house, too. I even went over to the Mutual Musicians Foundation afterward for a bit and heard Saunders, Haji , Jamal Sawyer , Jim Eriksen , and a very nice sounding alto player whose name I didn't catch. I can't get over how many people were down there. At 2:45 am, it was fairly mobbed with the night people. --Roger Atkinson New York vocalist Roseanna Vitro was in town recently to promote her new album Tropical Postcards . I heard her at Back Door @ Shiraz where she performed with UMKC student Oscar Williams on piano, Brian Hicks on bass and Mike Shanks on drums. While this was not the group she had rehearsed with for her Midwest tour (which included Joe Cartwright), I thought Williams held up pretty well. And Roseanna had discovered the sex appeal in Hick's voice that makes the rest of the local female population swoon. Shanks did an outstanding tribute to the late Elvin Jones on drums. The Jazz Lovers Pub Crawl in Westport may have been low on people but certainly high on talent. Californo's was the hot spot with two bands: Bram Wijnands' Majestic 6 with Hal Melia and the Wild Women of Kansas City . The two bands alternated sets at the courtyard behind the restaurant. It seems the Wild Women got everyone wildly excited. Of course dancing ensued at Californo's as well as at Kelly's where The Scamps played to a packed house. The Westport Art Ensemble also had a captured audience outside at Harpo's . --Kathy Feist Vescovi RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2004. All rights reserved.