Boulevard Big Band CD Release Party…
On April 6, the Blue Room is hosting the release party for the Boulevard Big Band's latest, Live At Harling's Upstairs. West Coast ace tenorman Pete Christlieb will be with the band for the occasion. Oh, and Pete's featured on the CD as well. Pete will also be with a quartet for the gig. The big band, by the way, has now been together for eighteen years.
...and Some Happy Returns at Jardine's
Let's start with Mike Metheny, who is returning to the Jardine's stage on April 3 with his Mike Metheny Concert Quintet. Mike's gigs have been rare recently, and this band will be special, with Danny Embrey, Roger Wilder, Bob Bowman, and Tommy Ruskin. Looks like there will be a return gig on May 1 as well.
Also returning to Kansas City will be drummer Todd Strait , who will be with the Westport Art Ensemble on April 8.
Though not a return, another notable entry on the Jardine's calendar is bassist Craig Akin and Top Shelf Tunes, who will be on the bandstand on April 4. The tunes, by the way, are by Kansas City composers. And mark your calendar for the April 19 Best of Kansas City show, where the host Joe Cartwright Trio will feature Kim Park.
To start out the month, New York City pianist/singer/songwriter Gary Negbaur will be performing his show, “Tales of a Traveling Jew-badour”. Gary will be performing songs by Jewish American composers like George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Billy Joel, and, of course, himself.
Metheny Music Foundation Formed
The Metheny Music Foundation is a new organization that promises to give a boost to the area's music education and profile. The Foundation will offer music scholarships to teachers and students, and work towards a state museum in Lee's Summit . The organization is named for the Metheny family, honoring its history of contribution to music, including the many accomplishments of trumpeter and former JAM editor Mike Metheny, and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Pat Metheny. The foundation board includes two retired educators, Russ Berlin of Lee's Summit and Paul Smith , who taught in Raytown and Kearney , Missouri .
Jazz and Beyond Concert Series Continues
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church presents the third entry in their new “Jazz & Beyond” concert series, on Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. , with the Paul McKee Special “Farewell” Sextet. This will be a great opportunity to hear Paul before he leaves Kansas City for his new job on the faculty at Florida State University . The group will feature an expanded three-horn front line, with trumpeter Stan Kessler and saxophonist David Chael, and a rhythm section with Roger Wilder, Bob Bowman, and Tim Cambron. Tickets are $10 at the door. For more information, please contact series director Tom Buck at 816-931-6415. All Souls is located at 4501 Walnut in Kansas City (one block east of 45th and Main).
KCKCC Earns Top Honors at Fest
Kansas City Kansas Community College made a clean sweep of the top honors at the 2007 Pittsburg State Jazz Festival. Both the KCKCC Jazz Band and Jazz Combo received Number 1 ratings while eight band members received a total of nineteen outstanding musicianship awards in the 33rd annual festival.
“The combo even received a 1+, which is off the scale,” said Director Jim Mair. The combo was made up of Michael Stephenson of Tonganoxie, guitar; Nicholas Rowland, Olathe East, alto saxophone; Sean Phelps, Sumner Academy, bass; Jarvis Rhone, F.L. Schlagle, piano; Jonathon Kemmerer, Blue Valley, tenor saxophone; and Jeff Davison, Blue Valley North, drum set. In addition, Stephenson and Rowland each received four outstanding musicianship awards while Phelps, Rhone , and Davidson received two each and Kemmerer one. Adam Schmitz, a trombone player from Turner, and Johandy Urena, a drummer from the Dominican Republic , also each received two outstanding musicianship awards. Other members of the Jazz Band included Jill Langley of Turner, Sean Wooley of Lansing, and Josh Hambleton of Leavenworth on trumpet, and Herbie Bolton of Turner and Steve Lundberg of Tonganoxie on trombone.
Both the Jazz Band and Jazz Combo will be performing as part of a KCKCC vocal and instrumental concert at Unity on the Plaza on May 2 at 7 p.m.
Blue Room Sounds
Be sure to check out the Blue Room calendar on the inside front cover for another great lineup, including the return of Paul McKee and John Fedchock on April 2, the Rob Scheps /Ed Neumeister Quintet on April 7, and Bob Bowman with guest Bob Shepherd on May 25. This is in addition to appearances by Ahmad Alaadeen (April 23 and 28) and Dennis Winslett with Dee Alexander (April 14).
St. Mary's Episcopal Church to Host Bram Wijnands
Bram Wijnands and his Majestic Seven will be in concert at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, located at 1307 Holmes, in downtown Kansas City , Missouri . The concert will be held Sunday, April 29 at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 816-842-0975 for info or to purchase tickets, or go to www.stmaryskc.org .
ASR Announces Licensing Deal
Carl Burnett has informed us that Kansas City-based ASR Records and their distributor have partnered with MySpace and Snocap to enable the purchase of tracks from their artists' individual MySpace pages possible. The terms of the licensing deal were recently completed and are now in effect. The Web site is www.MySpace.com/KCJazz2.
Candace Evans Performing at Lake of the Ozarks
Candace Evans will be moving to Lake of the Ozarks , and her fans will be able to hear her at The Four Seasons. She'll be in the lobby on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, starting June 1 and continuing until October 27.
Johnson County Community College Jazz Series Continues
The spring 2007 Jazz Series continues at noon on Tuesdays in the Recital Hall. Upcoming artists are the Dan Thomas Quintet on April 3, followed by the April 10 performance by the Russ Long Tribute Band. The fifty-minute concerts are free. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The concerts are co-sponsored by the JCCC humanities and music departments, Community Services, and the Music Performance Trust Fund of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 34-627. For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3605.
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