Tag Archives: Mark Edelman

It’s Diana Krall’s birthday; is she hot for 45 or what?

Celebrate the day– and the music–at Jardine’s Wednesday and Thursday with the Divine Miss K’s world-class drummer, Jeff Hamilton. Touring to support his new CD “Sympbiosis,” Jeff decamps at Beena’s place for two shows a night (7 and 9pm). I can promise you–if they sing happy birthday, it’s gonna pop.

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Politics is not a pretty business. The process is compared to making sausages more often than… well, making sausages.

Beau Willimon’s new play FARRAGUT NORTH (now through December13 at the Unicorn) takes another dark view of the proceedings. It’s an interesting story, well-acted across the board. The fact that it doesn’t catch fire and boil over with dramatic tension may have more to do with the predictable nature of this sorry segment of society than the playwright’s best intentions.

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Comparing what we’re looking for misses the point. It’s wanting to know that makes us matter.

With that telling remark in Act 2 of ARCADIA, now through Sunday Continue reading →

We’ve all heard about the demise of recorded music– that CDs are gonna look as ancient as the 78s in grandpa’s living room cabinet (the ones next to the stamp collection and pipe rack). But don’t tell Kaycee’s jazz scene. They’re still pressing the plastic– hey, it’s a great reason to have a CD release party like these:

Wednesday: Continue reading →

Talk about All Hallows Eve– we’ve got some hallowed ground, jazz style, right here in Kansas City.

The spirits of Lester Young, the Bird, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Mary Lou Williams, Big Joe Turner and a million other greats are alive and well at 18th and Vine and all around town. Leave the candy and the costumes for the kids– make sure you hear some devilishly fine music this weekend.

Thursday: There’s a new jazz venue in town– the R Bar at 1617 Genessee up and over on the West Side. David Basse croons some tunes tonight from 8 to 11. The Blue Room at 18th and Vine pops to a Latin beat with Makusa from 7 to 11. Two great pianos (that’s four great hands) converge on Main Street, where Joe Cartwright and his estimable trio reign at Jardine’s and Tim Whitmer holds court at Cafe Trio. If that ain’t keyboards enough, Bram Wijnands works Chaz at the Raphael from 6 to 10.

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David Cale’s picaresque protagonist in PALOMINO (now through Sunday, November 15 at the Copaken Stage downtown) is a handsome Irish fellow who moves effortlessly from the horse drawn carriage he wields around Central Park to the bedrooms and beaches of the women he beds. Kieren, like his eponymous horsey, Continue reading →

Oh, I’m gonna be wounded. Oh, I’ m gonna be your wound.

Tough love indeed, no matter the century. Continue reading →

It’s the 50th anniversary of the most popular jazz album in history, Miles Davis’s KIND OF BLUE. After that Arrowhead OT drubbing, you’re probably feeling the same way. So check out the local jazz scene to warm these blustery nights. At least these guys and gals (or their arrangers) Continue reading →

Did you really think you made me…come.

I love that lyric, intoned breathlessly, over and over again, from Julia Othmer’s “Canyon” video (okay, so she adds the words “on now”.. it’s still hot). Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-dTMeqw2Yw) and you’ll be lining up for her Monday 9pm gig at Jardine’s on the Plaza (Friday’s 2 shows and the 1st show Monday are already sold out). Props to Beena for snagging the Continue reading →

It’s the birthday week for jazz bassists Jimmy Blanton, Eddie Gomez and Steve Swallow. Who are these cats, you ask? Well, Blanton played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and took the bass out of the rhythm section and into the solo spotlight for the first time. Gomez played with Bill Evans and expanded the bassman’s reach into Latin jazz. And Steve Swallow brought the bass guitar to jazz with his long-standing gig backing up vibraphonist Gary Burton.

That makes for three great reasons to get “down” with some of Continue reading →

I love that old Johnny Mercer lyric– a standard that Continue reading →

KC Rep has opened its 2009-10 season with a lovely production of the too-little seen Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical INTO THE WOODS. At Sunday night’s performance, a terrific Continue reading →

I may be as much as a year late getting around to the tasty CD “Smile” by local chanteuse Monique Danielle, but it Continue reading →

It’s Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones’ birthday this week, so celebrate the occasion by checking out some of our Continue reading →

No sooner has the Irish Fest rolled up its shamrocks and shaleleighs at Crown Center than KC lovers of the green (and everybody else with a yen for things Celtic) can start counting on even more Emerald Isle fun. And there’s still nearly two hundred shopping days til St Patrick’s Day!

Newest dates to come down are October 31-November 1, when the international touring company of LORD OF THE DANCE makes a stop at the Carlsen Center, College Blvd and Quivira Continue reading →

Kansas City favorite son Charlie Parker would have been 89 this week, if a combination of heroin and hard-living hadn’t taken the Continue reading →

Get out to some live music and knock one down for Count Basie, who got his start playing with Continue reading →

The excellent revival of David Mamet’s GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (now through Sunday at the H&R Block City Stage downstairs in Union Station) reminds us that, in the generation that preceded Judd Apatow, men didn’t sit around getting high and talking about their feelings. The real estate guys who populate Mamet’s play Continue reading →