Steve Cardenas Trio at The Blue Room

I remember him with wild hair, sticking way out, playing guitar with Ida McBeth downstairs at The Point. Someone else at The Blue Room on Friday night remembered taking guitar lessons from him, probably a quarter century ago.

Steve Cardenas moved to New York a couple decades back. There, he’s built a sterling reputation and performs with the jazz elite. But last week he returned to his hometown for shows at Take Five and The Blue Room. He played some Monk and an Ornette Coleman composition, but mostly he showcased his own music, contemporary jazz that pulls and engages. Listen and, more than once, you could still hear those Midwest roots.

Accompanying Cardenas to KC was acclaimed New York bassist and composer Ben Allison, They were joined by KC drummer Brian Steever. At The Blue Room, Matt Otto and Stan Kessler each joined a couple numbers.

Below are photos of how Friday at The Blue Room looked. As always, clicking on a shot should open an larger version of it.

Steve Cardenas on guitar

Ben Allison on bass

Brian Steever on drums

The Steve Cardenas Trio at The Blue Room

Cardenas, Allison and Matt Otto

Steve Cardenas

Ben Allison

The trio plus Stan Kessler on trumpet

The trio plus Matt Otto on tenor sax

Brian Steever

Ben Allison plays

Steve Cardenas in The Blue Room

In Lieu of 1000 Words: Trumpet Summit at The Blue Room

The show started at 8:30. That's when I walked in, give or take a few minutes. I was about to hand over the $10 cover charge when the ticket seller warned me, “It’s standing room only.” I thought a moment then gave her my money, adding, “Good. I’m glad that room is packed.” The ticket seller laughed (then she found me an open seat on the floor. It pays to be a regular and make the ticket seller laugh).

The Blue Room remained standing room only through the second set last Saturday night. Because Kansas City still knows a great jazz show when we hear one.

Trumpet Summit is a spectacular mix of KC jazz veterans and youth. With a front line of Mike Metheny, Stan Kessler and Hermon Mehari, you start with three of the best trumpet (and flugelhorn and EVI) players anywhere. Add a rhythm section of Gerald Spaits on bass, T.J. Martley on piano and Brian Steever on drums, and you have one of the most talented jazz ensembles anywhere.

Hearing the ensemble’s take on compositions ranging from Gil Evans to Thad Jones, and from originals to the blues (with an especially wild version of The Chicken Shack), it’s easy to understand why the audience stayed.  Between magnificent solos and the masterfully arranged blending of two and three horns (which, as Stan noted, isn’t easy; you don’t want it sounding like the Tijuana Brass), this Trumpet Summit is brass at its best.

If you missed the group, you can catch them at their CD release party in September at Take Five. And you can see below a sampling of how Saturday night looked (as always, clicking on a photo should open a larger version of it).

Trumpet Summit. Left to right: T.J. Martley , Stan Kessler, Gerald Spaits, Brian Steever, Hermon Mehari, Mike Metheny

Stan Kessler on trumpet while Hermon Mehari listens

Mike Metheny

Hermon Mehari on trumpet while Mike listens

The rhythm section: T.J. Martley, Gerald Spaits and Brian Steever

Gerald Spaits on bass

T.J. Martley on piano

Brian Steever on drums

The front line: Stan Kessler, Hermon Mehari and Mike Metheny

Stan Kessler

Hermon watches while Mike solos on EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument)

Hermon Mehari

T.J. takes a solo

Stan and Hermon

In Lieu of 1000 Words: Parallax at Take Five

Granted, the place isn’t huge. But I arrived 45 minutes before the show was to start and already every seat was filled. Stan carried folding chairs out of the kitchen. I was lucky to nab one of those.

By the start of the show, the audience packed every nook and every cranny available. And they paid a cover charge – first time ever here – to do that. When it was announced a weekend cover was something new, the crowd applauded.

This must be Bizarro Jazz Club.

But it’s not. It’s Take Five Coffee + Bar, packing ’em in for perhaps the hottest new jazz group in Kansas City, Stan Kessler’s Parallax. With Stan on trumpet, Roger Wilder on keyboards, Bill McKemy on bass, and Ryan Lee and Brian Steever on sometimes complimentary, sometimes dueling drum sets, this audience came for the night’s best jazz.

Think about it, and this night is mostly unbelievable. We’re in a coffee-shop-slash-bar on 151st Street in Leawood, Kansas – this is as suburban as the world gets, folks – and people applaud paying to be packed in sardine-like to hear jazz. Not only that, but when the band starts playing, the audience stops talking to listen to the music. To listen to jazz.

If it’s difficult to praise highly enough the venue Lori and Doug Chandler have grown, likewise it’s hard to say too much about this band. Playing mostly original compositions (though I also loved their take on Monk), Parallax pairs a trio of some of KC jazz’s most experienced and talented musicians with a pair of young drummers driving the band and driving each other to their musical best. The crowd didn’t applaud and cheer because most were standing and could probably only see someone else’s back. We applauded and cheered because this jazz earned it.

You can find out for yourself this Thursday, January 10, when Parallax plays again, at the Westport Coffee House.

Until then, here’s what it looked like on the last Friday of last year at Take Five. As always, clicking on a photo should open a larger version of it.

Parallax. Left to right: Roger Wilder on keyboards, Brian Steever on drums, Bill McKemy on bass, Stan Kessler on trumpet, Ryan Lee on drums.

Trumpeter Stan Kessler. Behind him, drummer Ryan Lee.

Roger Wilder on keyboards. Behind him, drummer Brian Steever.

Bill McKemy, who ususually looks happier than this, on electric bass.

Drummer Ryan Lee

Drummer Brian Steever

Parallax, with Bill McKemy on sousaphone

Leader Stan Kessler

Parallax, when the two drummers square off, at Take Five Coffee + Bar

In Lieu of 1000 Words: Rich Wheeler Quartet at Take Five

This is one of Kansas City jazz’s best kept secrets.

Not among musicians. Musicians in town know all about Rich Wheeler. He’s in Alaturka, in the People’s Liberation Big Band, in Mark Southerland’s groups, in Brandon Draper’s groups. Musicians know Rich is one KC’s best on tenor sax.

But because he’s mostly played as a sideman, the public is less aware of his name. Many in an audience just ask, so who was that fantastic tenor player in the group tonight?

That’s why when Rich Wheeler fronts his own group – especially when it’s in Take Five Coffee + Bar, one of this area’s most delightful jazz spaces – I’ll be there. And when backing Rich up in that group is T.J. Martley on piano, Bill McKemy on bass, and Brain Steever on drums, I know I’m hearing a quartet culled from Kansas City’s top jazz musicians.

Last Saturday night, May 12th, at Take Five, they did not disappoint. Rich fronts this group with natural ease and remarkable talent. His full tenor sound filled the room with solos as exciting as they are imaginative. T.J., Bill and Brian played perfect support or spread-your-wings solos which consistently ended to wild applause. It’s been especially wonderful to hear Brian develop over the last couple of years into a drummer who leaves audience members whispering to each other about what they just heard (Saturday, I saw that more than once).

Let’s also recognize Take Five, which is bringing jazz to the suburbs several nights each week, in one of the most comfortable, most welcoming, and most acoustically solid spaces to hear the music, city or fringe.

If you missed it, here’s how the night looked. As always, clicking on a photo should open a larger version.

Rich Wheeler Quartet. Left to right: T.J. Martley on keyboard, Brian Steever on drums, Rich Wheeler on tenor sax, Bill McKemy on bass

Rich Wheeler

Enjoying the quartet in Take Five

Pianist T.J. Martley

Rich, Brian and Bill

Bassist Bill McKemy

The Rich Wheeler Quartet performing

Rich and drummer Brian Steever

Framed by Billie on one side and Louis on the other, the Rich Wheeler Quartet in Take Five Coffee + Bar