Two Trumpets and a Trombone

The younger generation of musicians continues to stake a major claim to the future of jazz in Kansas City. Their often exceptional talent dominates gigs around town. The best have learned how to thrive, how to cultivate an audience. They’ve learned when and where to play standards and when and where the audience will embrace their own compositions. And the Kansas City jazz audience, these last few years, has embraced the extraordinary opportunity to watch these musicians grow professionally, to hear ever more intriguing compositions and more finesse in their performances.

Thriving venues like The Blue Room and like Take Five – which just more than doubled its space and designed a coffee shop around the acoustics of jazz – add to a sense of excitement. A what’s next anticipation pervades the Kansas City jazz community. There’s an unspoken optimism not felt here in at least fifteen years.

Not everything is ideal. None of this city’s jazz festivals have been embraced by the city as a whole and, based on attendance, remain relatively trivial events. At least one mis-located club is fighting to thrive. And while the community is displaying unprecedented cohesiveness, not every institution is on board.

Peg me as an old-timer who marvels at the new generation’s talent and energy and how Kansas City’s jazz community has wrapped itself around them. A few of the younger groups have released CDs in the last several months. In some cases, these serve as snapshots of growing maturity.

Let’s take a look.

Diverse, Our Journey

From the opening title track, Our Journey, you’re struck by the subtle sophistication of the compositions and the performances. This music isn’t meant to show off anyone’s prowess. Rather, it plays like an instrumental conversation between musicians. Each instrument has the opportunity to build its case, to speak its part, and to respond to what the other instruments musically express. This isn’t just a rhythm section supporting a horn or two. There’s emotion in the music, but it’s emotion sealed in thought.

This is the second CD from Diverse. While some members of the group have come and gone, the core remains and plays often in Kansas City. Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Ben Leifer on bass and Ryan Lee on drums know each other like brothers in a close-knit family. That chemistry, evident in musical anticipation and response, invites the listener into the music and into sometimes complex compositions.

They’re joined on five of the fourteen tracks by Logan Richardson, also a Kansas City native, whose alto saxophone expertly slips in and intrigues as if he was always a part of this club. Parisian pianist Tony Tixier joins all but three of the tracks. The anticipation he builds in his solo on the opening track immediately establishes him as a welcome part of the conversation.

Our Journey doesn’t necessarily break new ground as much as it captures refinement and growth among a core group of Kansas City’s young jazz musicians.

Our Journey is available on CD Baby here and on iTunes here.

The Project H, We Live Among the Lines

You’ll walk away from the Project H CD, We Live Among the Lines recognizing at least this: Ryan Heinlein understands how to pair and harmonize multiple instruments into a single magnificent voice. And he knows how to write musical phrases that stick in your head.

The third number on the album, Devolver, is a perfect example: a bass line repeats to open. It captures your attention and pulls you in. Other Instruments join, building into a single exciting voice before the saxophone breaks through for a solo running over and under and around that initial phrase. The music plays with you – it’s fun, you let it – and it sticks.

Of course, it helps when you’re writing for the seven of Kansas City’s best young jazz musicians who comprise Project H Heinlein on trombone, Clint Ashlock on trumpet, Brett Jackson on tenor sax, Jeff Stocks on guitar, Andrew Ouellette on keyboards, Dominique Sanders on bass and Matt Leifer on drums.

Traditionalists may question whether this music counts as jazz. It’s not Count Basie swing. But it is jazz for the twenty first century done right. Some other contemporary groups find new voices that squeal and repel and offend, that don’t invite a listener in but dare you to comprehend. Not The Project H. This is entirely accessible jazz filtered through contemporary ears and influences, a melded voice in compositions and sound that reaches its own generation. The experience of hearing We Live Among the Lines is more visceral than listening to Our Journey, but no less thought went into getting there.

We Live Among the Lines is available on Amazon here and on iTunes here.

Shades of Jade, Fingerprinted Memories

This one is all about the trumpet. Josh Williams’s tone remains even and inviting, whether the playing is melancholy or soaring or anywhere in between. But while piano, bass and drums all claim their moments, this is a trumpet showcase.

The music lacks the emotional intimacy between instruments that pushes Our Journey to another level. The jazz is enjoyable, but without the engagement and emotional Wow of We Live Among the Lines. Everyone here is a solid musician, and each musician properly supports the other, but there’s little sense of conversation, of interaction, of more than here’s the trumpet, now here’s the bass, now here’s the piano.

Heard from a download, I could not find credits for the musicians besides bandleader and trumpeter Josh Williams. The Shades of Jade web site (here) lists band members as Eddie Moore on keyboards, Dominique Sanders on bass and Julian Goff on drums. But I have seen the group in various configurations around town, and I don’t know whether those are the musicians performing here.

Fingerprinted Memories is available on iTunes here.

Take Five, Version 1.0

Four years ago, Lori Chandler offered up her six month old Leawood coffee shop to host a fundraiser for a jazz band trying to go to Paris. Up until then, she had made a seat available for a guitarist, just as coffee shops are supposed to do, I suppose like Phoebe on Friends. But a jazz band? Lori didn’t really know what to expect.

She was blown away by the music of Diverse – Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Ben Leifer on bass and Ryan Lee on drums – and by the acoustics in her little coffee shop. Soon, Take Five was hosting bi-weekly Sunday night jam sessions. Musicians asked if their groups could perform there, too. And Take Five Coffee + Bar developed into a quaint coffee shop by day and a serious jazz club on weekend nights. Many nights, bodies squeezed into every corner of the room, to the delight of musicians and the crowd.

At 151st and Nall, in Leawood, Kansas, audiences turned out for jazz.

Jazz fans weren’t the only people to notice. So did developers of nearby shopping centers. Later this month, Take five moves into more than double the space in the Corbin Park shopping center at 135th and Metcalf, behind the Von Maur department store.

On Sunday, August 28th, Taske Five closed its original space with its first jazz band, Diverse. Below are photos of how it looked. As always, clicking on a photo should open a larger version of it.

Take Five Coffee + Bar on its last night in its original location with the band that started it all, Diverse.

Diverse. Left to right: Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Ben Leifer on bass and Ryan Lee on drums.

Trumpeter Hermon Mehari

Bassist Ben Leifer

Early in the evening on the original Take Five’s last night.

Diverse

Drummer Ryan Lee

Hermon and Ben

Diverse on the last night in the original Take Five

The last night in Take Five, Version 1.0

In Lieu of 1000 Words: Saturday at Jazz Winterlude

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sure, it was free. But it was indoors on an unexpectedly pleasant Saturday afternoon. It was jazz in suburban Johnson County starting at 1 p.m. And basketball was on TV. Two jazz fans told me they would love to come but they couldn’t because they’d be watching basketball.

So I was surprised to see probably a hundred fans start to fill Johnson County Community College’s Polsky Theatre when Megan Birdsall took the stage to open Saturday’s Jazz Winterlude. The crowd was easily up to 150 by the time her set ended. And it continued growing throughout the day.

Audiences rambunctiously cheered Everett Devan and Chris Hazelton’s dual Hammond B3s, sat thrilled by Diverse Quartet’s set of classic Ellington, and took to their feet for the New Red Onion Jazz Babies.

Meanwhile, the next door Recital Hall, a more intimate setting, needed more seats each time I looked in. In there, I caught some of Candace Evan’s wonderful trio and the Turkish jazz of Alaturka. Micheal O’Shiver and Alice Jenkins also packed the room.

At night, hundreds filled Yardley Hall for an opening set by Killer Strayhorn then the incredible piano of Eldar, who grew up in Prairie Village and who we in Kansas City will always consider to be one of our own.

Congratulations to the Winterlude staff for a magnificent weekend of jazz. Those of you who stayed home watching basketball have no clue about the magnificent music you missed. So let me show you a little of it. As always, clicking on a photo should open a larger version.

Saturday opened in Polsky Theatre with Megan Birdsall's quartet. Left to right: Wayne Hawkins on piano, Megan Bridsall, vocals, Bob Bowman on bass, Tim Cambron on drums.

Wayne Hawkins and Megan Birdsall

Next up in Polsky was the Everette DeVan / Chris Hazelton Group with a pair of Hammond B3 organs. Left to right: Everette DeVan on Hammond B3, Matt Hopper on guitar, Danny Rojas on drums, Chris Hazelton on Hammond B3.

Everett DeVan and Matt Hopper

Everett, Matt, Danny and Chris

I've photographed Diverse before. This day they performed as Diverse Quartet with, left to right, Andrew Ouellette on piano, Ben Leifer on bass, Ryan Lee on drums, and Hermon Mehari on trumpet.

Evening performances in Yardley Hall opened with Killer Strayhorn. Left to right: A hidden Chris Lewis on piano, James Isaac on saxophone, Greg Clinkingbeard on bass, Pablo Sanhueza on percussion, and Mike Shanks on drums.

Chris Lewis, Greg Clinkingbeard, Pablo Sanhueza and Mike Shanks

Headlining the night was pianist Eldar Djangirov, better known these days just as Eldar.

Eldar with his trio

Eldar on piano, leading his trio

Eldar in Yardley Hall

In Lieu of 1000 Words: 2012 PV Jazz Fest, Part 1

Thousands of fans. They crowded the hill at Harmon Park on September 8th to enjoy the music, the food, the beer and the wine – but mostly the music – at the third annual Prairie Village Jazz Festival.

As one of the organizers of this year’s event, I’ll not feign an unbiased assessment. But I will credit one group above all others for the day’s success: The musicians. Every performance was magnificent.

Opening act Diverse, in their new configuration with drummer Brad Williams, mostly played tunes the arriving audience might recognize, but branded by their own contemporary resolve. Rich Wheeler’s quartet spanned their own compositions to the blues. Everyone who heard Mike Metheny understands why I keep telling him he needs to perform locally more often (and he’s starting to do that). And everyone who heard Megan Birdsall heard a vocalist wrap herself around familiar standards and pop classics to make them entirely hers.

Crowd size reached its height for headliner Bobby Watson. With longtime bassist Curtis Lundy from New York, pianist Richard Johnson from Minneapolis and KC drummer Michael Warren, Bobby owned Prairie Village. Then the night’s second headliner, Karrin Allyson, backed by extraordinary saxophone and flute player Bob Sheppard from Los Angeles, guitarist Rod Fleeman, bassist Gerald Spaits, and drummer Todd Strait, left no doubts about why she has been nominated five times for the jazz vocal Grammy.

I took photos. This week, let’s share shots of the local acts. Next week, we’ll take a look at the headliners’ groups. As always, clicking on a photo should open a larger version of it.

Opening act Diverse. Left  to right: Ben Leifer on bass, Hermon Mehari on trumpet, Brad Williams on drums.

As Diverse performs, the audience grows.

The Rich Wheeler Quartet. Left to right: T.J. Martley on Rhodes and piano, Bill McKemy on bass, Rich Wheeler on tenor saxophone, Sam Wisman on drums.

Mike Metheny on flugelhorn

Bassist Gerald Spaits

Drummer Todd Strait

T.J. Martley on piano

Mike invited Hermon Mehari and Rich Wheeler to join him on his set. Here, Hermon and Mike enjoy Rich's solo.

Megan Birdsall

Bassist Bob Bowman

Drummer Matt Leifer

Singer Megan Birdsall with pianist Wayne Hawkins

Megan and Wayne. As the sun starts to set, the audience fills the hill.

Next week: Bobby Watson and Karrin Allyson.

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.

In Lieu of 1000 Words: Diverse at the Record Bar

Let's open the year with some photos.

One of my favorite nights of jazz in 2009 was in late August at The Blue Room. The club was standing room only with a line out the door. The group was Diverse, mostly UMKC students with first place in a national competition and an album in the jazz top 50 both on their resume. Bobby Watson joined them at the end of each set. Pop star Kenny Loggins dropped by and sat in on a couple numbers as well. It was one of those nights where you feel magic in the room.

I had the pleasure of hearing Diverse again on Monday, December 14th at the Record Bar. The club was filled. This time, saxophonist Logan Richardson joined the group. Here's a sampling of what we saw (clicking on a photo should open a larger version of it).

 Diverse. Left to right: John Brewer on electric piano, Ryan Lee on drums, William Sanders on tenor saxophone, Ben Leifer on bass, Hermon Mehari on trumpet

 

Guest saxophonist Logan Richardson

John and Ryan

William and Ben

John, Ryan, Ben and Hermon

Logan Richardson and Diverse

The front line blows 

 

Diverse

Diverse Friday

I'll post one of my too long essays later this week. But today, a shorter post to recount a terrific Friday night at The Blue Room.

The group was Diverse, some of the outstanding young KC musicians I've previously blogged about (and will again). The great saxophonist Bobby Watson (also head of UMKC's jazz program) joined them at the end of each set. As did, on the second set, a surprise guest.

For the first set, The Blue Room was packed, standing room only (I counted more than 20 without seats). On Diverse's web site (here) they say there was a 45 minute wait to get in (fortunately, I arrived early enough to avoid that). People crowding the room ranged from 20-somethings to 60-somethings. Don't tell me there's no interest in jazz in KC, or that jazz doesn't appeal to younger people. Friday, I saw otherwise.

Midway through the second set, another patron walked in with his girlfriend and, coincidentally, sat down next to me at the bar extending along the ramp to the upper level. He just looked to me like someone who missed combing his hair before heading out. I paid him no further attention until it was announced that Kenny Loggins was in the audience, and that guy next to me raised his hand. Turns out Loggins and Messina was in town for a show at the Ameristar Casino, and afterward Kenny Loggins came down to The Blue Room for some jazz, and he was sitting next to me.

At the end of the set, Kenny joined Diverse and Bobby on stage for two songs (he needed to Google the words for the second one). Gotta say, Kenny Loggins still has one helluva voice and can belt out a jazz standard spectacularly. You could see on their faces the members of Diverse (after all, these are guys right out of college) were amazed to find themselves backing Kenny Loggins singing jazz standards.

Diverse was outstanding. Their CD is getting national airplay and deserves it. Just hearing them would have been a great night of jazz. But Bobby Watson and Kenny Loggins joining them made for a more-special-than-anyone-expected night at The Blue Room.