In Lieu of 1000 Words: Alaturka at R Bar

Turkish jazz in the stockyards? I dare you to find that outside of Kansas City.

You could certainly find it here earlier this month when Alaturka, a quartet blending Turkish music with jazz, played R Bar in the city’s West Bottoms, less than a block from where cattle once roamed.

There’s much to explain in that sentence.

For a year I declined to head out to Alaturka’s monthly Sunday night shows at Jardine’s. Turkish music and jazz? What could be more odd a combination than that? Surely I wouldn’t like it.

I could not have been more wrong.

I finally attended an Alaturka performance a few months back. The room was packed, and I grabbed a seat up front.

Wow.

Seeing Sait Arat’s hands glazing the darbuka faster than the eye can focus – you’ll see what I mean in a photo below – while hearing musical perfection was a revelation. Previously, I’d only heard Rich Wheeler on short sax solos in a contemporary big band. But here, extended tenor of magnificent tone and soulful feel filled the room, intimately. This night, Beau Bledsoe’s guitar and oud and Bill McKemy, sitting in on bass, took occasional expert solos but mostly underlaid solid support.

The experience was extraordinary.

On their recently released CD, Tamam Abi, regular Jeff Harshbarger commands the bass seat. Here, without seeing Sait play, Beau’s oud and guitar assume a more prominent role. It’s still a jazz – no, really, a music – experience like none other you’ll find (the CD is available for sale here, or for download on iTunes here).

Now let’s mention R Bar, a still new restaurant and bar in Kansas City’s West Bottoms area. Thirty years ago, the stockyards dominated this area; where cattle pens once stood is seen right though their front door. But today, in R Bar (web site here), a wonderful atmosphere mixes excellent food and drink with jazz and other styles of acoustic music.

On November 4th, Alaturka, with Sait Arat on darbuka, Rich Wheeler on tenor sax, Beau Bledsoe on oud and guitar, and Jeff Harshbarger on bass, took the R Bar stage for a marvelous night of music. Which is how we get to Turkish jazz in the stockyards. How did it look? That answer is in the photos below. As always, clicking on one should open a larger version of it.

Alaturka. Left to right: Jeff Harshbarger on bass, Rich Wheeler on tenor sax, Beau Bledsoe on oud, Sait Arat on darbuka

Jeff Harshbarger and Beau Bledsoe

Sait Arat. This photo was shot at a speed of 1/15th second. This, amazingly, is how his hands move in one-fifteenth of a second, while playing every note perfectly.

Alaturka in R Bar. The lights you see through the front door today are in a parking garage. Thirty years ago, cattle pens stood there as part of the Kansas City stockyards.

Rich Wheeler on tenor sax with Jeff Harshbarger and Beau Bledsoe behind him

Bassist Jeff Harshbarger

Alaturka

Beau Bledsoe and Sait Arat

Jeff Harshbarger, Rich Wheeler, Beau Bledsoe

Alaturka in R Bar

This 'n That 'n Inflatable Hamster Cages

Last week, our friend Plastic Sax pondered why jazz groups can't try for showmanship like some popular music acts, citing a recent rock extravaganza full of falling confetti and the vocalist in an inflatable hamster cage. You can find the commentary here.

Now, I have no qualms with proper showmanship. But when Plastic Sax compares the raucous 5000-attendee Flaming Lips show with jazzman Lionel Loueke’s more sedate Blue Room performance last year seen by a mere 50, the statement I find key is this:

“…I refuse to believe that one out of twenty Flaming Lips fans wouldn't be completely down with Loueke's slightly psychedelic sound if they only knew of him.”

“If they only knew of him.” That is a failure of marketing.

It’s a failure of marketing by the venue. It’s a failure of marketing by the artist.

Where was the push to show us just how good Loueke is? Where were mp3s on a web site? Where were embedded videos? Where were the media interviews? Jazz will rarely be a matter of if-you-book-him-they-will-come. The show must be marketed. And these days much of that marketing can be done virally and cost-effectively if an artist and venue have made the effort to develop an interested base

I had the same rant when Kurt Rosenwinkel played The Blue Room. Here was an artist with crossover appeal that nobody made the effort to cross over and sell.

Showmanship is marketing. We don’t need to throw confetti or crouch singers in inflatable hamster cages to draw audiences to jazz shows. But we do need to market. And at that jazz is, at best, rather pathetic.

Besides, I’m having trouble with the image of Karrin Allyson or Marilyn Maye in an inflatable hamster cage.

*****

One staple of rock showmanship is fireworks. For jazz, though, I find that a mix warranting caution. True story:

It was probably the mid-1980s when Kansas City Parks and Recreation staged an evening event on the lawn of the Nelson Museum. Back then, the Nelson’s south lawn was actually park land maintained by Parks and Rec. The evening was to culminate with a performance by Claude “Fiddler” Williams backed by fireworks.

I knew the folks from Parks and Rec from my work with the Jazz Festival, though the fest had no involvement with this production.

It was a beautiful evening. People filled the Nelson lawn. Volker Park, across what was then Brush Creek Boulevard, was even more tightly packed. A cross-section of Kansas City had the chance to hear “Fiddler” play his magnificent jazz.

Then it was time to light the fireworks behind him.

And they caught the Nelson lawn on fire.

I don’t remember now if it happened while the fireworks were still on the ground, or if something went up then inappropriately came down.

But they caught the Nelson lawn on fire.

I don’t recall panic. It was quickly extinguished. And that was the inglorious end of the night’s entertainment.

I do remember walking by the next day and seeing an impressive patch of toasted grass on the Nelson’s south lawn. Parks and Rec, of course, replaced it.

I don’t think it was long afterward that the Nelson negotiated with Parks and Rec to assume control over their own lawn. They later landscaped it as it’s known today.

But ever since, I’ve been wary of mixing jazz and fireworks.

I’m not sure we jazz people are very good with with fireworks.

*****

I returned to R Bar, the still new West Bottoms restaurant and nightspot, a couple weeks back.

Drinks were good. Food was decidedly on the pricey side but, unlike a certain jazz club, quality met the cost. Music that night was a favorite, Shay Estes.

Also unlike a couple of local jazz clubs, the music was delightfully easy to hear. What a remarkable difference a good sound system makes to an evening’s enjoyment.

I thought a long, narrow space of high ceilings and brick walls would prove difficult for managing music. But an audio engineer coincidentally sitting a couple chairs down explained that a series of speakers hanging from the ceiling provided sound only to the area between that speaker and the next one down. No speaker was trying to fill the room, just its small area. Additionally, because sound and current travel at different speeds, the speakers were wired with a slight delay, so that as one walks down the long, narrow space, the timing of the music coming through each speaker sounds natural.

R Bar features jazz each Thursday and some weekend nights. It’s not an inexpensive place to eat. But it is a wonderful space to enjoy drinks and music.

Their web site is here (and though you must still needlessly scroll through dated press clippings before finding the acts, they’ve brought the calendar section up to date since I complained about it in a post a few weeks ago).

****

Remember, this Thursday is the premiere of Sue Vicory’s film Kansas City Jazz and Blues; Past, Present and Future. It’s 6 p.m. at the Gem Theater. If you don’t remember, you can refresh your memory from my blog post on it here.

*****

Copy was cut from last week’s entry on Milton Morris to keep the post under 1000 words. But Milton stories could go on far longer than that. For instance, I made little mention of Milton’s wife.

He was married twice, both times to the same woman, and both times on Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas. Shirley is remembered as a beautiful blonde, much younger than Milton (perhaps 20 years). Stories say she and Milton disagreed often. Stories also say she got a substantial settlement from the divorce which separated their marriages.

When asked why he wed her a second time, Milton replied: “I'm trying to get my money back.”

This 'n That 'n New Metheny (Not That One)

1987, and we were looking for headliners for the Kansas City Jazz Festival. We needed at least two, one to cap each night of the event. I was an organizer back then. I don’t remember who we signed first, but we found a pair of outstanding trumpet players were available: Wynton Marsalis and Mike Metheny.

I do remember we were thrilled to grab both. Wynton’s celebrated group included pianist Marcus Roberts. And Mike hadn’t lived in the KC area for over a decade, had released a new CD the year prior, and around here was plenty well known.

On the festival stage, Wynton’s performance was clinical. A friend later told me that his wife turned to him during the show and asked, “When does this get fun?”

Nobody asked that during Mike’s performance. His EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument) was new to us, the first time most at the fest had heard it live. We were enthralled. And trumpet and flugelhorn kept the crowd equally captivated.

I’m remembering this now because now we have the delight of a new Mike Metheny CD, the just-released 60.1.

Some of the album’s music trends a bit more electronic than my personal old-fashioned taste. But there’s variety here. Old-fashioned me gravitates first towards the lively blues, C.C. and Water. Then Mike’s haunting EVI draws me into and leads me through the film-noire-ish Blue Smoke. And I’m entranced by both piano and horn on the lyrical ballad Laurie.

Besides, with sidemen like pianists Roger Wilder and Paul Smith, bassist Bob Bowman, guitarist Danny Embry and drummer Brandon Draper, this is a collection of KC talent I treasure.

I understand Mike’s little brother has a new CD out, too. I hear it’s some fancy thing that he’s doing shows all over the world to support. Mike’s CD, on the other hand, was recorded right here with some of Kansas City’s best musicians.

If I could only afford one, I know which I’d choose.

60.1 can be ordered from Mike’s web site, here.

*****

At last, a way to find out who’s playing at The Majestic each night! And the lineup is better than I thought.

Their apparently abandoned Twitter account is again active with tweets, including a few each day announcing that night’s talent. On my one weekend visit, several months back, the jazz club music was a rather sorry lounge sound. But the tweets are listing combos well worth a new look (Bram Wijnands and Steve Lambert last week, for instance, I’m sorry I missed).

Sadly, their web site as yet offers no calendar, so there’s little way to plan in advance. If you added one, Majestic, I’d gladly link to it. Because your tweets show that many nights you’re featuring more legit jazz than is sometimes found in a certain other downtown jazz spot.

The Majestic’s tweets can be found here.

*****

Speaking of online calendars, why, when I go to R Bar’s, do I first find reviews from 2009? Am I the only one looking at an entertainment calendar for a current listing of entertainment? Why make us scroll past praise and last week’s schedule for the info we seek? Why not put it front and center on the page where it’s promised?

And maybe the listing could be complete? This week I can see who’s playing Thursday and Saturday but not Friday. Why?

R Bar doesn't feature jazz every night, but often enough that it's worth checking who's there. I know I’d enjoy drinks and a meal while hearing David Basse, then Millie Edwards (next week) or Shay Estes (the week after). In fact, I see on Shay’s web site she’s booked there each month through July. It’d be nice to be able to find that out on the venue’s site, too.

I feel another post ranting about marketing coming on.

*****

For a couple of our sterling young jazz musicians, a scraggly look seems to be in vogue. That doesn’t work for me, guys. I don’t expect coat or tie, but a respectable appearance is merely showing respect for the audience. I’m not naming names – I have no desire to embarrass anyone – but I’ll bet they know who they are.

If I left a bigger tip, would you guys consider a haircut?

*****

So how do I remember who played the jazz festival 23 years ago? Well, there may not be many other jazz fans with a fest poster autographed by both Wynton Marsalis and Mike Metheny on their wall.

(Mike’s new CD, 60.1…it's at his web site, here.)

This 'n That 'n Other Locales

One year, when I was an organizer of the jazz festival, Joni Mitchell recorded an album which included a well known jazz musician. Another organizer, looking for the biggest draw we could book for the festival, argued that was reason enough to pursue Joni Mitchell as that year’s headliner. Fortunately, his opinion was not shared. Because, as much as I enjoy listening to Joni Mitchell, I cannot imagine a stretch big enough to justify her as headliner of a jazz festival.

But as someone who spent time trying to draw audiences to jazz events, I understand stretching the definition to include acts of questionable pedigree. So I don’t begrudge our local jazz clubs booking some acts that aren’t really jazz. If those other acts draw enough fans to help make up for the nights when only 35 patrons pass through (and I’ve been in the audience some of those nights), well, that’s business.

Still, with only three jazz clubs in Kansas City today (plus the Majestic's nightly piano), any night without jazz is an opportunity lost to hear our outstanding musicians. Which is why it’s so wonderful to see other clubs, ones that don’t often book jazz, booking jazz and picking up some of the slack.

A prime example: Last Friday, Diverse became the first jazz act to play Czar Bar (web site here). And the club couldn't have selected a superior inaugural group.

The night started with few there actually listening but ended with a won-over room and wild applause. John Brewer, Ben Leifer, Hermon Mehari and Ryan Lee (left to right in the top photo below) blazed through their first set. I've heard Ben provide solid bass to many groups in KC, but this night he owned some of the most dynamic, complex and engaging bass solos jazz fans will hear. I'm not often a fan of drum solos — just my taste — but Ryan's drew me in with a real beginning, middle and end. The only horn on stage for the first set, Hermon's solos exploded with an unbridled energy that I never wanted to end. Though John's electronic vocal manipulations were not my favorite (maybe I'm just too much an old traditionalist), the crowd loved them. I, on the other hand, loved his organ sound solos. Young saxophonist Matt Chalk (he's the new face in the second shot) joined them for the second set, and the room was theirs.

Czar Bar did the evening right, playing Charlie Parker music between sets (that's more legit between-set jazz than I often hear at a certain downtown jazz club). If you weren't there, just look at what you missed:

Then there’s R Bar, a new restaurant and bar in the West Bottoms (web site here). A long narrow room with brick walls and a stage in the front window, on first glance it doesn’t look a likely space for music. But when I was there several Fridays back to hear another favorite, Shay Estes and Trio ALL, the place was packed. After adjusting the sound system between sets, the listening was great (the music by Shay, Mark Lowrey, Ben Leifer and Zack Albetta, it goes without saying, was outstanding).

I mentioned when walking in that it was my first visit, and the staff went out of their way to make it a good one. They moved me from standing room only in the back to a table up front with some guys who didn’t care if a stranger nabbed their extra chair.

I didn’t try the food that night. I will next time. Because I will be going back. R Bar features jazz every Thursday and some weekend nights.

Meanwhile the Record Bar (web site here), site of Diverse’s last KC show, is one of a trio of locales to host big bands. It’s where The People’s Liberation Big Band plays a Sunday of most months. Harling’s has no web presence that I can find, so you just have to know that you’ll find Clint Ashlock's New Jazz Order Big Band there from 9 pm to midnight most Tuesdays. And B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ (web site here) may be deservedly known for the blues, but it’s also home to the New Vintage Big Band the first Wednesday of each month.

And let's not forget The Drum Room in the President Hotel and The Oak Room in the Intercontinental Hotel. They join other odds-and-ends where jazz can be irregularly found, all listed in the Plastic Sax calendar (linked at the right).

Add these up and they may not total another jazz club, but they’re sure nice plugs to some of the KC jazz club gaps. I, for one, will head wherever great jazz will be found.

*****

Angela Hagenbach is among the regulars at R Bar (she's there this Thursday, in fact). This summer she celebrates 20 years singing jazz in KC. I remember first hearing her nearly that long ago at an 18th and Vine festival, and I'm not sure she's aged a day since. Proof is in the photo above, captured when I had the good fortune to catch her last month at The Blue Room with both Matt Otto on sax and Stan Kessler on trumpet (Stan I was also listening to way back then. How come he and Angela have no gray hair and I have little but? Not fair!).

Update: Quite coincidentally, the same day I put up this post, KCUR's excellent local news show KC Currents ran an interview with Angela. It's a good story. You can hear it here.