News & Notes
Things Are Heating Up…
We are beginning to see the calendar fill up in what promises to be a great musical season this fall. See the ads and articles in this JAM to find out the offerings at the Folly and at the Blue Room and Gem Theater, in addition to expansions and exciting changes with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.
Mike Moreno to Play Jardine’s
We don’t usually think of Jardine’s as a club featuring
national acts, but pianist John Brewer is trying to change that. He has arranged for guitarist Mike Moreno
to play Jardine’s on Friday, September, for two sets at 8 and 10 p.m. Mike will be joined by John, bassist Ben Leifer, and drummer Brandon Draper. Moreno has been getting a lot of notice on the New York scene, and was on Logan Richardson’s debut CD Cerebral Flow (as well as many others, including his own Between the Lines). John sees this as a big deal for the local scene. “I feel by having Mike play at Jardine’s, especially with a local group, he will get a taste of what is happening today in the Kansas City scene and hopefully spread the word.”
Spirituality and All That Jazz
Tim Whitmer has announced the next three first-Wednesday concerts in this long-runn ing series held at Unity Temple on the Plaza. The concerts start at 7:00 p.m. The lineup:
• August 6: The Wild Women of Kansas City
• September 3: A Night of Hot Latin Jazz featuring Percussionist Miguel Deleon with the Tim Whitmer Consort
• October 1: The vintage big band sounds of Bram Wijnands and the Majestic Seven
Topeka Jazz Workshop Opens 40th Season
That’s right, this series is about to start its fortieth year of presenting some of the best musicians around, locally and nationally. The opening concert will be on August 24, and will feature the TJW Band with Jay Sollenberger on trumpet. The September 14 presentation will be Stephanie Nakasian, vocals, Hod O’Brien, piano, Harry Allen, tenor sax, with Tommy Ruskin on drums and Bob Bowman on bass. All concerts are held on Sundays at 3:00 p.m. at the Topeka Downtown Ramada Hotel and Convention Center, 420 SE 6th Street. Topeka. More information is available in their Web site, www.topekajazz.com.
Hofmann and Wofford at Blue Room
Flutist Holly Hofmann will be in Kansas City for the National Flute Convention, and therefore will be around for a show at the Blue Room on Saturday, August 9, in a quartet she’ll co-lead with pianist Mike Wofford. This will be a unique double bill at the Blue Room, and the Hofmann-Wofford set starts at 7:00, not the normal 8:30 weekend start time.
Check out the Blue Room ad in the front of JAM, and their regular column, to see the other offerings down on the Vine the next couple of months. You might notice that Pat Coil is coming in on September 25, leading a quartet with old friends Bob Bowman and Steve Houghton. You’ll also see a couple of shows by Alaadeen, an appearance from trumpeter Wallace Roney, and concerts by Bobby Watson, Deborah Brown, Todd Wilkinson, and of course Gerald Dunn and the Jazz Disciples and others.
RecordBar Starts Alternative Jazz Series
Bassist Jeff Harshbarger is presenting an Alternative Jazz Series at the RecordBar in Westport two Sundays per month. The shows begin at 8:00 p.m. and will generally feature groups playing original material. The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City will be doing one of the two monthly shows. More information is available from the RecordBar Web site, www.therecordbar.com.
Bird Birthday Celebration August 24th
The annual Charlie Parker birthday celebration will be held at his grave site in Lincoln Cemetary on August 24, starting at 1:00 p.m.. Bird’s 88th birthday is August 29. Alaadeen will again be the musical director. For more information and directions, see www.webjazz.net.
And Happy Birthday, Eddie Saunders
Glenn Stewart sent us this photo of Congressman Gerald Cleaver with Eddie Saunders, which was taken earlier this year when Congressman Cleaver visited Eddie at Highland Nursing and Rehabilitation. It was given to Eddie on his birthday.
UMKC Combo Wins Competition
This note came in from Bobby Watson through Doug Auwarter:
“I am very pleased and proud to announce that our top combo consisting of Hermon Mehari, William Sanders, Ben Leifer, andRyan Lee, won the “Gene Harris Jazz Competition” in Boise, Idaho last night and will open the show for the great jazz drummer Roy Haynes and his “Birds of a Feather” Band with Donald Harrison, Dave Kikoski, and Christian McBride tonight (June 20). They also received a recording contract with Origin Records. UMKC rocks and swings!!!! Please give them your congratulations when you see them this fall.”
We will do that!
Ten String Trio plays Jazz & Beyond
With Danny Embrey on guitar, Jeff Harshbarger on bass, and Zack Albetta on drums, the Jazz & Beyond series
at All Souls Unitarian Universalist proudly presents TEN STRING TRIO – for a special Sunday matinee concert, September 14, at 3:00 p.m. Three of the most creative musicians in KC have joined forces – with results
at times incendiary, and always introspective. All Souls is located at 4501 Walnut St. in Kansas City (one block east of Jardine’s). Contact series director Tom Buck at 816-931-6415 for more information. Tickets are only $10 at the door, and students are always “two tickets for the price of one”.
UMKC Jazz and BBQ
We don’t have much in the way of details at this point, except we know the date: September 28, in
Pierson Auditorium at UMKC. I’ve been shut out in the past, so you might want to get your tickets soon. The Jazz Friends are sponsors of the event, and proceeds support the jazz program at UMKC. A call to UMKC should get you some information.
Kessler to Perform with Grand Arts Gallery Exhibit
Trumpeter Stan Kessler will be performing solo with an exhibit called “Small Cups” at The Grand Arts Gallery at 1819 Grand. This is performance art as a part of an exhibit by William Pope.L. Stan is part of the last showing every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. from September 6 until October 18. Each showing lasts thirty minutes, with Stan’s bit at the end. There is written as well as improvisational music.
