You may have read my excuses elsewhere on the Web: school has crowded out other forms of cultural life for me since August. But I — and you! — have a chance to make up for it this week, as we say goodbye to a trying 2010, and get ready to welcome a great new year.
Starting tonight, then on through the week:
- Mark Lowrey, Brandon Draper, Shay Estes, Hermon Mehari, Katie Gilchrist, Reach and more at the recordBar, starting at 9:00 pm
- Playing the music of Lennie Tristano, Warne Marsh, Lee Konitz, Mark Turner and Matt Otto, CrossCurrents at Jardine’s Monday the 27th, from 6-10 pm: Sam Wisman on drums; Matt Otto on tenor sax; Steve Lambert on tenor sax and flute; TJ Martley on piano; and Ben Leifer (back from New York) on bass; THEN Sir Threadius Mongus,
- Tuesday night, also at Jardine’s, Shay Estes and Mark Lowrey’s Unholiday Holiday Show, with Mark Southerland, from 7-10 pm;
- Makusa, free at The Blue Room from 7-11 pm on Thursday the 30th;
- Many New Year’s Eve events, yet I’m choosing my Musical Rabbis, the Hearts of Darkness at Crosstown Station from 9 pm-2 am
- Then, to start 2011 on the right foot, the Andrew McGhie Quintet, 7:30-9:30 pm, once again at Jardine’s, featuring Harold O’Neal on piano; Hermon Mehari on trumpet; Dominique Sanders, bass; Ryan J. Lee – drums; and of course Andrew McGhie on tenor saxophone and underlying it all with composition; THEN Sir Threadius Mongus from 10 pm-Midnight, featuring Matt Otto again on tenor sax; Steve Lambert with his woodwinds; Andrew McGhie on reeds; Russell Thorpe on bass clarinet; Bryan Hicks on bass; Pat Adams on drums; and, by definition, Jeff Davis on guitar, with composition already under his belt and into our ears and other organs. (cover: $5)
If you can get to Kansas City, and don’t come out for all of these: well, better luck next year! We could all use it.
Kansas City Performs! 